Re: For Yvette or others...

[Guest guest]

Sorry, this just seems silly. As far as mercury and contaminants you have to get the highest quality oils that are tested for pcb, mercury etc. Sometimes fish oils are the only way to get contaminant-free Omega's because they can be tested whereas most fish is not.Don't you think that if average kids were dying of internal bleeding from fish oils there'd me more restrictions on it? The FDA is on that like a fly on ****.I guess it is up to the user to determine how much of a risk it is when so many people use these supplements and have great results.Here's some more since you asked. Univ of Calif Berkeley. Again the problem is that these are dosages for adults. What really is safe for kids? I don't know and wish I did. So lets hope they do some testing and research to find out. I just want folks to know the warning signs and to monitor their kids. Internal bleeding is hard to diagnose and can be deadly. So just be careful!Not for everyoneIf fish oil is so great, why shouldn’t everyone take supplements?• The decreased ability of the blood to clot, which helps prevent heart attacks, has a negative side, notably an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. People with bleeding disorders, those taking anticoagulants, and those with uncontrolled hypertension should not take fish oil supplements.• Large doses of fish oil may suppress the immune system. Thus, supplements may be risky for those with weakened immune systems. What’s a "large dose"? One definition is 3 grams or more a day, but no one really knows what the cutoff point is.• Large doses can increase glucose levels in people with diabetes.• Large doses can cause nausea, diarrhea, belching, and a bad taste in the mouth.• The supplements may contain contaminants and may not contain the labeled dose. A recent test by Consumer Reports of top-selling supplements was reassuring on both counts, even for the least expensive brands, but that doesn’t mean that the next batches will be okay—or that other brands on the market are. Last year a test by ConsumerLab.com found no detectable levels of mercury in 20 fish-oil supplements, but did find that some brands didn’t contain the labeled amounts of omega-3s.Fathom this: It is rare for a major health group like the AHA to recommend any dietary supplement. But remember, its advice concerns the treatment of specific diseases. For everyone else, two or three small servings of fish a week is still the way to go. Fish may be more beneficial than the supplements because it contains other important nutrients, some potentially cardio-protective. And fish can take the place of meat, which is usually high in saturated fat and thus bad for the heart. For more about fish, and especially the question of mercury, see our July 2003 issue.UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, November 2003<woBackToTop.gif> <1Pixel.gif>Robbi, Thanks a bunch for all of your work on finding more info on Omega 3 fish oil.Now I have a better idea of the pros & cons of the supplements.Since I do not give Alyssa a multi vitamin I think she should be ok on 1 capsule 1 x a day mixed in her food.Please feel free to forward any other info if you read otherwise. Hopefully this will not affect her bm’s in a negative way. She seems to be doing well on just prunes & applesauce mixed with oatmeal for breakfast. I am so happy that I have weaned her totally off of the Miralax for 3 weeks now. WOOHOO!!I do plan to buy the Juice + Fiber very soon as I would like to incorporate the juice into her diet. I think that extra fiber is a good thing as long as it does not cause diarrhea. Thanks again,Yvette [ ACP Medicine ] [ MedGenMed eJournal ]Medscape·         Latest·         News·         CME·         Conferences·         Resource Centers·         Patient Ed.·         Journals & Reference·         Experts & Viewpoints Newsletters |  Log Out |  My HomepageAll Sources     Medscape     MEDLINE     Drug Reference Gestational Hypertension Linked to Cod Liver Oil Consumption   By Martha KerrNEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 19 - Many people consume cod liver oil regularly as a dietary supplement, particularly residents of areas with a high intake of fish and fish oil consumption. Pregnant women should be wary, however, as researchers in Iceland report that a high intake of cod liver oil is associated with a nearly five-fold increased risk of gestational hypertension.An observational, prospective study of residents with a traditionally high intake of fish and cod liver oil, including 488 low-risk pregnant women, was conducted by Dr. S. Olafsdottir and colleagues at the Public Health Institute of Iceland in Reykjavik. The researchers asked the women to complete a questionnaire on the use of cod-liver oil and other nutritional supplements and lifestyle factors. The questionnaire was completed between 11 and 15 weeks gestation and again between 34 and 37 weeks gestation.In the March issue of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Olafsdottir's group reports that the odds ratio of developing a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy was 4.7 among women with a daily intake of one tablespoon of cod liver oil, containing 1.8 grams n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA). The investigators also found that women who took multivitamins without vitamins A and D during late pregnancy had more than twice the risk of developing a hypertensive disorder."Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, affect 5% to10% of all pregnancies world wide," Dr. Olafsdottir commented in correspondence with Reuters Health. "Prevention of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy is of clinical importance and our results suggest that it might be useful to recommend that low-risk women consume cod liver oil supplements in moderate amounts, avoiding large doses. Further research on this topic is, however, important.""Although the mechanism is unknown, excess prenatal exposure to PUFA may well lead to augmented lipid peroxidation, which may be particularly harmful during development," Dr. Olafsdottir explained."According to our results, a tablespoon or more may be too much during pregnancy," Dr. Olafsdottir advised. "The likelihood of developing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy was increased with daily intakes of one tablespoon of cod liver oil. However, the likelihood of developing these diseases was lowest among women who on average consumed about one teaspoon of cod liver oil a day, or the equivalent to 1 g/day of n-3 LCPUFA.""It is not advisable to recommend avoiding cod liver oil during pregnancy, but rather to consume it in moderation, i.e. 1 teaspoon a day. A teaspoon a day is also adequate to cover the recommended daily intake of vitamins A and D," Dr. Olafsdottir advised.BJOG 2006;113:301-309. 

[Guest guest]

Well, and there is a population that uses fish and other omega oils

regularly with kids-- there are several yahoo boards that have high

memberships (apraxia, adhd) where I know folks are using omega oils

with their children, because they either are not getting enough from

their diet or have a need for more omega's, and I honestly haven't

read about any child having a bleeding complication from the oils.

I have read where kids haven't tolerated certain kinds or certain

brands very well, but stopping the oil was all that was needed. We

rarely eat fish in our house because of the mercury and other metals

and contaminants, and so for us, periodic use of fish oil

supplementation is one way to make sure my kids get some omega's.

They are even putting omega oils into baby formula now because it is

so important for development.

I agree that given the known use of omega oils with children with

apraxia, adhd, cystic fibrosis, etc. that the FDA would be all over

stopping that from happening, or at the very least, demanding that

some studies be done on children.

W

>

> Sorry, this just seems silly. As far as mercury and contaminants

you

> have to get the highest quality oils that are tested for pcb,

mercury

> etc. Sometimes fish oils are the only way to get contaminant-free

> Omega's because they can be tested whereas most fish is not.

>

> Don't you think that if average kids were dying of internal

bleeding

> from fish oils there'd me more restrictions on it? The FDA is on

that

> like a fly on ****.

>

> I guess it is up to the user to determine how much of a risk it

is

> when so many people use these supplements and have great results.

>

[Guest guest]

I just had a few minutes to search on pubmed.com about EFA

supplementation in children, and there are numerous studies there for

children of varying health conditions such as ADHD, allergies, and

even cystic fibrosis, which is known for having GI problems as part of

their condition. Anyway, I didn't see any concern in the abstracts

about any bleeding occuring. Not saying that it wouldn't happen to

someone's child, just saying that there does seem to be a lot of

research involving EFA's in children, and if kids were considered to

be an at-risk population for intestinal bleeding from EFA

supplementation in general, then my guess is that these studies

wouldn't have ever even taken place.

W