A coating protects nutrients from stomach acid and prevents them from being released in the stomach. Some nutrients are sensitive to stomach acid. They are changed by it. Examples include Sam-e, resveratrol and curcumin.
Some people wonder why a coating is necessary, since the foods that we eat are not coated. The truth is that many of these “sensitive” nutrients are not well-absorbed from foods. While eating is a necessity of life, it is not always the most efficient way to get nutrients into the bloodstream.
Besides that, if you are paying for an expensive nutrient like Sam-e, you want to get all of the value that you can out of the supplement. If much of it is lost due to damage by stomach acid, you have ultimately wasted your money.
The primary nutrients found in fish oils are omega-3 fatty acids. They are not degraded by stomach acid. They should be digested in the same way that a piece of salmon would be digested, starting in the stomach.
An enteric coated fish oil capsule would not be properly digested. Whether or not you would get any benefit from it is a question that has yet to be answered. Studies conducted concerning the benefits of supplementation were conducted using uncoated capsules or liquids.
But, what about stomach upset? You may be accustomed to buying aspirin with the same kind of coating in order to protect the stomach from irritation.
The irritation caused by aspirin has to do with increased production of stomach acid. It is actually your stomach acid that causes the irritation, not the aspirin.
Whether you choose enteric coated fish oil or non-coated, you should not experience stomach irritation. You might experience a burp, as you would after eating a piece of salmon. But, it should not be excessive.
Excessive burping is either a symptom of disease or a sign that the oils were not processed quickly and have become rancid. One of the reasons that flavors are added to liquids and other types is to mask the taste and smell of rancid oils.
Manufacturers can have the oils tested for rancidity, before they are encapsulated. But, they are not required to do so. Enteric coated fish oil could be rancid. The only way that you can tell for sure is to look for the manufacturer’s certificate of analysis or COA.
The COA will tell you that the manufacturer has had the oils tested for toxic contaminants and for freshness. They test for peroxides and anisidine levels. The levels should be very, very low.
