I know that cod liver oil is good for you, but I find the large gelatin capsules hard to swallow. I tried them for a few days but I got horrible fishy burps and indigestion so I gave up. My husband has started taking them now for several complaints (missing heart beats, joint problems)and (fingers crossed)his joints seem better and the large, painful ganglion on his wrist has gone down and his painful shoulder is better. It's a bit early to report on the 'ectopic beat' problem, but the early signs indicate an improvement. If you have missing beats or PVC's you will understand how truly horrible and scary they can be, benign or otherwise and you will be going out of your mind trying to find a cure because the doctor has more than likely told you 'you're fine, go home, relax and get on with your life'. Er doc, not possible!
Different brands of Cod Liver Oil contain varying amounts of extra vitamins and it is important to be aware of this because some have high levels of vitamin A. These state they contain vitamin D but they also contain vitamin E and if you are taking extra vitamin supplements, I would go for pure Omega 3 fish oil instead of Cod Liver Oil to prevent a build up of excess vitamins. For those winter blues (lack of sunlight means lack of vitamin D which can bring on a bout of SAD/low mood due to low levels of our feel good chemical Serotonin Cod Liver Oil is great and for late spring into early autumn I would go for the purest form of Omega 3 fish oil. Of course we have all heard about the benefits of fish oil to our general health and very few people get side effects, but I got fishy burps and indigestion and my husband had a run of the runs if you get my drift. Could be unrelated but we don't know. I also noticed that my husband had a slight fishy odour for the first week or so of treatment but I am sure any minor side effects will pass providing we give our bodies time to adjust to the oil. For me the fishy burps made me feel sick but my husband didn't get those. He is also taking extra calcium and magnesium supplements in an attempt to alleviate these missed heart beats which are causing him a lot of stress and anxiety. I have also read that if you have IBS or other gastric/digestion problems it's worth giving Aloe Vera juice a go. I am going to order some for my husband because the missing heart beats are much worse after eating plus he suffers an excessive, bloated feeling even after a small amount of food and I hear that Aloe Vera juice is meant to soothe the stomach and aid digestion. Good heavens you would think we were both in our seventies judging by the long list of complaints, but my husband only turned 40 last year! Seems like it's all downhill from 40 then! On the day of my 30th birthday I was greeted by severe lower back ache and spent several days walking bent over like a very old lady (of around 100) whilst complaining. It was rather ironic.