Headache From Fish Oil

by Leesa
(Perth, Western Australia)

Hi.My whole family, that is me, Mum and Grandmother, get headaches from taking fish oil. I have tried many brands and am now taking Xtend-life molecularly distilled oil and the headaches continue, about 1hour after the dose, even after one capsule.

It is dose related; the more oil the worse the headache. My 6yr old takes them also and he reports no headache. We are not allergic to fish or shellfish in any of our family.

Is there any research on why this may be, as I have seen many questions from people on the net asking the same thing.

Thanks.

Answer:

Leesa, just yesterday I was answering a letter about how omega 3 has helped a person with headaches and migraines. You can read it here.

If you have established a clear link between fish oil and headaches by taking it, stopping and taking it again, there is no amount of information that is going to make you change the way you feel. Nevertheless, there are 2 things to suggest that may avoid depriving you from getting al the wonderful benefits of fish oil.

First, avoid for 2 weeks, while taking fish oil, all sugars, wheat and maize products. These are the major depressors of the immune system that may be making you prone to some type of allergic reaction. Grains, specially wheat and maize, have some compounds called anti-nutrients that impact our digestive system.

Second, if the above experiment doesn’t work, you may try cod liver oil or krill oil (you can buy them here). They have omega 3 from animal origin, in the chemical form of EPA and DHA, that will replace the fish oil. We do not recommend the omega 3 from vegetable origin because its chemical presentation is in ALA form that may not be entirely usable by the body.

I hope you write back giving us feedback on your experiment.

Best wishes,

Alfredo E.

P.S. Don’t forget your daily omega 3 for your entire family. You can find omega 3 in Cod Liver Oil, Krill Oil and Fish Oil, molecularly distilled, free of impurities sent anywhere in the world at low reasonable price, Omega 3 Store