We have been taking fish oil capsules for a little while as I was worried about the lack of long chain Omega 3 in the kids diet. They don't particularly like oily fish.
My 9 year old has started to smell really fishy - most noticeably in her hair but also on her skin, she has also had diarrhoea and I was about to go to a GP to investigate why. Now I am wondering whether she has an intolerance to the capsules. They are supposedly good quality but maybe she just can't tolerate them.
I have googled to see whether I can find information to support this but there isn't really anything much.
Does anyone else have any insight or experience with this?
I am starting to question why we are taking it. Many NZers would have lead long and happy lives without oily fish so is it really necessary or just one of these things we are made to feel worried about?

I think these two websites have valid things to say.
[kimberlysnyder.net]
[singularityhub.com]

My personal belief is that as long as the food supplier in the house is providing a reasonably good range of food none of us need to take any supplements. NZ produce is great and so is our life style, and as you say Nzers are living long and happy lives.

I agree with you Stephanie - if we eat healthily our then our naturally healthy digestive system should be allowed to do it's own thing to take the nourishment and vitamins from our daily food. There are so many pills and potions shouting out at us from tv, mags, radio etc. that it's so easy to be conned into thinking we need to add commercially made extras to our diets. These are merely my thoughts and I'm not condeming of anyone adding supplements into their diet.

I have found this on the net [www.livestrong.com]

Regards,
Dawn.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2012 12:12AM by Dawn.

I did the fish oil capsule thing for a while, but they're not very palatable. The ones I bought suggested adding the oil to the child's hot chocolate. It just made the hot chocolate taste of fish - revolting! I soon gave up.

The other thing with those capsules is that you get that fishy taste when you burp - could put your children off fish for life if they aren't keen in the first place. And that would be counter-productive.

There are other sources of omega 3 that are more likely to be accepted by children (and not make them smell of fish!) - walnuts, flax seed and soy beans for example. Check out this link: [whfoods.org] Of particular interest is the table of the most healthy sources of Omega 3 near the end of the web-page. Romaine lettuce and walnuts have more of it (in terms of density) than salmon!




Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2012 12:40AM by FarmAway.

I do agree that those with healthy diets don't need supplements but after attending a seminar that discusses the importance of long chain omega 3 (only found in oily fish) and my children not liking salmon or tuna, I decided to go for supplements.
I have been googling and found very little re hair smelling of fish after having fish oil capsules and I just hope to goodness it is only the fish oil causing it and that it will dissipate. Googling can turn up the good and the bad....
Meanwhile the fish oil is in the bin!

My husband can't take any of the normal fish oils - they all make him race for the little house within 30 mins even when he has taken them with food. I now give him Krill and he hasn't had any problems but rather expensive. He also makes short work of flaxseed oils and can run very fast when necessary.

I remember having to take a codliver oil capsule and a spoonful of malt every morning before going to school. Not sure it did any good but it made my mother happy and that malt was so nice.

Have just bathed her in a bath with baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar and a splash of vanilla for good measure but she is still fishy!
I am feeling like mother of the year (not!).

This might explain it Helen. It's a condition causing fishy smelling odours in children that worsen around puberty time. It's a metabolic disorder. [en.wikipedia.org]

Kone I absolutely do not want that to explain it at all. That would be such a dreadful thing to have and a reason I have stopped googling about it.
I am hoping like anything that it is purely the fish oil capsules as she is hopefully not near puberty and that condition has no cure!

I apologise for having upset you Helen which was not my intention.

Kone I know you were just being helpful it is just that I had read about that condition and it sounds like a nightmare. I shared a room at school with a girl who possibly had it and I know how awful it is.
I am hoping it is temporary and I just want her back to her sweet smelling self as quickly as possible .

If the smell has coincided with taking the oil, then I reckon it's most likely just the oil working its way through her system, a bit like when one super-charges the garlic. Helen, you are a fantastic mother who only wants the best nutrition for your children, I'm sure she will be fine (and well dosed with long chain omega 3).

Dr Google can be a blessing and a curse. A friend of mine recently was convinced she was in for chemo and certain death after consulting the internet for something that has turned out to be minor.

With the long-chain omega 3 thing, have you tried cream cheese and cold-smoked salmon on crackers? My youngest isn't keen on fish, but he goes nuts for that and it's a good after-school snack (actually, I'm too tight to buy cold-smoked salmon every week, but you can get the off-cuts much cheaper than the sliced).