Side Effects Of Fish Oil Pills With An Expired Date

Side Effects of Fish Oil Pills With an Expired Date

Image Credit: eggeeggjiew/iStock/GettyImages Fish oil supplements contain heart-healthy and inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re having trouble fitting fish into your weekly meals or just want an extra boost, fish oil supplements can help. But when your fish oil supplements have expired, you may wonder if they are still safe and effective. The answer can depend upon a number of factors.

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Expired Fish Oil

According to Jigsaw Health, date of expiration indicates the time frame that a supplement maintains the highest potency. However, if your fish oil supplements have expired, it’s also possible they have become rancid. Over time, changes in light exposure and temperature can cause fish oil supplements to go bad. If your expired fish oil supplements smell bad or appear slightly discolored, do not take them. Fish oil can cause a number of stomach-related side effects, including fish oil burps, heartburn, nausea and loose stools. Taking rancid, expired fish oil supplements can worsen stomach side effects and cause you to feel extremely sick.

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Reduced Supplement Effectiveness

Physicians recommend taking fish oil for a number of serious conditions. For example, they may suggest someone take the supplement after a heart attack or if someone has high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. When it comes to these serious conditions, taking an expired fish oil supplement can be harmful because the fish oil may be less effective. One of the reasons an expiration date is included on fish oil is that the date indicates when the supplement begins to decline in quality. Time, temperature, air and light can cause the fish oil to break down, making it less effective as a supplement. If you are relying on fish oil supplements to keep you healthy, taking an expired supplement can therefore have harmful effects.

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Storing Fish Oil

Even if your fish oil supplements are in-date, they can still go bad if you store them improperly, which can lead to adverse side effects. Extra light can affect your fish oil safety. Whenever possible, purchase a supplement that is packaged in such a way that light cannot pass through it. You might be tempted to refrigerate fish oil, but this allows moisture from condensation to enter the bottle each time you open it, according to Jigsaw Health. However, taking supplements when they are cold also can minimize adverse stomach upset sym ptoms.

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Time to Throw It Out?

Supplement manufacturers often place a conservative expiration date on their supplements, according to Jigsaw Health. This is because they take factors like poor storage, time on a shelf, and time for the product to be shipped into consideration. This means in some instances, fish oil supplements can still be effective, though possibly less potent, after they have expired. Therefore, taking expired fish oil supplements is a “do-so-at-your-own-risk” decision. However, if the supplements are significantly past their expiration date — such as one or more years — your risk of experiencing adverse side effects is heightened.

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  references & resources
  
      Circulation: Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Fish Oil) Supplementation and the Prevention of Clinical Cardiovascular Disease
    
      The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.; Oxidized Fish Oil; October 2005
    
      Jigsaw Health: My Supplements Have Expired. Now What Do I Do?
    
      MedlinePlus: Omega-3 Fats - Good For Your Heart
    
      Healthy Fish Oils; Side Effects from Fish Oils; Kevin Lee; 2011
       




  references & resources
  
      Circulation: Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Fish Oil) Supplementation and the Prevention of Clinical Cardiovascular Disease
    
      The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.; Oxidized Fish Oil; October 2005
    
      Jigsaw Health: My Supplements Have Expired. Now What Do I Do?
    
      MedlinePlus: Omega-3 Fats - Good For Your Heart
    
      Healthy Fish Oils; Side Effects from Fish Oils; Kevin Lee; 2011
    




Side Effects of Fish Oil Pills With an Expired Date

Image Credit: eggeeggjiew/iStock/GettyImages

Image Credit: eggeeggjiew/iStock/GettyImages

      Circulation: Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Fish Oil) Supplementation and the Prevention of Clinical Cardiovascular Disease
    
      The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.; Oxidized Fish Oil; October 2005
    
      Jigsaw Health: My Supplements Have Expired. Now What Do I Do?
    
      MedlinePlus: Omega-3 Fats - Good For Your Heart
    
      Healthy Fish Oils; Side Effects from Fish Oils; Kevin Lee; 2011