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Vitamins

Hoxley77 profile image
19 Replies

Hi

My husband has not had a heart attack but has chd. Had 2 stents back in february. Is it safe to take any type of cod liver oil tablets?

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Hoxley77
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19 Replies

I am sure it probably is but if he has a good balanced diet he won't need them in my opinion, especially if he eats the recommended levels of Omega-3 derived from certain fish etc.

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star

You might want to read these articles first.

Research suggest fish oils do not necessarily benefit heart patients and in some could be harmful.

health.harvard.edu/blog/the....

healthline.com/health-news/...

in reply to Milkfairy

Mmm, not very convincing articles if I might say, and on a personal note my triglyceride levels are very low anyway. As a fish eating vegetarian I would struggle if I didn't eat it to be honest, having been a life long meat man.

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to

Here's the original source from the European Society of Cardiology .

My view matches yours we should be able to get all the nutrients we need from our diet.

Vitamin D the exception.

academic.oup.com/ehjcvp/adv...

in reply to Milkfairy

Agree totally although I understood we can get all the "D" we need from getting ourselves outside as often as possible, walking and suchlike.

RufusScamp profile image
RufusScamp in reply to

We should get enough vitamin D in summer, but it's a problem in winter as the sun doesn't get high enough.

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to

Not necessarily so.I was surprised when despite being out as much as possible in the outdoors during the summer my blood test showed my Vitamin D was low.

I now add vitamin D drops to my yogurt I couldn't face taking another tablet!

I take a gulp of high quality fish oil everyday because I don’t particularly like the fish that’s yields the highest concentration of omega’s. Although, I do eat haddock or plaice 4 times a week. Aside from the ongoing debate centering on the protective qualities of omegas, fish is very low in saturated fat but contains protein so it’s heart healthy regardless of omegas etc. One area that I think more or less all researchers & cardiologist’s will agree on is the benefit of a good quality extra virgin olive oil

in reply to

My Mother used to routinely shove a teaspoon of Cod liver oil down my throat every day, bloody awful stuff it was you could taste it all morning, and a fat lot of good it obviously did me! Agree about the olive oil, my Mrs spends a fortune on it but it is worth the extra, Waitrose do some very good one's but you will need to get your wallet out.

in reply to

Oh definitely, I also have a bowl full of olives every evening aswell.

RufusScamp profile image
RufusScamp in reply to

Watch out for the salt!

Chappychap profile image
Chappychap

The omega 3 debate is a tricky one. In addition to the points raised there are a few others,

-farmed fish are increasingly seen as problematic for all sorts of reasons, not least the lice, flukes and other pests that are present in quite high levels.

-some species of ocean caught fish have very high mercury levels.

-then there are all the ethical arguments surrounding commercial fishing practises

But on the other side of the coin there are plenty of studies that indicate many fish oil capsules, even well known brands, don't actually contain much of the nutrients that we buy them for.

Personally I've found it difficult to extract a clear conclusion from the evidence. However, given that those nations who eat more fish, such as the Japanese and some Mediterranean cultures, appear to have far lower levels of heart disease than we do, I'm inclined to follow their example and eat more fresh fish!

in reply to Chappychap

I take your point about fish farming, it is not great, but sometimes if you applied these morals to everything you would have a limited diet. Compared to the devastating effect beef production is having on the environment it is difficult to get too steamed up (sorry) about the fish debate. We do out best to try as much as possible, for example we refuse to eat anything containing palm oil, and reduce etc salt by not going anywhere near anything that we have not either cooked or sourced from reliable, if possible, local suppliers. For example all our bread is bought from a local sourdough bakery, it tastes fantastic and has none of the additives of commercial bread. Unfortunately the cost is also higher, but then again you could argue the cost of some foods is ridiculously low in this country due to the way it is made.

Chappychap profile image
Chappychap in reply to

One of the unexpected benefits of lock down is that, like many others, I've pulled on a pinny and discovered the joys of baking bread!

I now make sourdough regularly, and it's been a revelation. A slice of freshly baked bread with unpasteurised, grass fed butter has got to be one of life's sublime pleasures. It's incredible that just a generation or two ago, less in rural areas, this was what "bread and butter" meant. Why did we ever give up something this good?

in reply to Chappychap

BUTTER???? Argh..........One of my former pleasures I am afraid, but I know what you mean. My son makes sourdough, even has his own yeast culture that he treats like a baby I had to "look after it" when he left it at home after a visit!

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to

Sourdough makes wonderful pizzas.

I learned to make sour dough from a starter too and yes it does need ' looking after'

millersues profile image
millersues

Vitamins help when you take the right ones.

Edwalelah profile image
Edwalelah

Well, in this situation, I would recommend that you consult with your doctor. This is the right decision because only your husband's attending physician knows his entire medical history and will be able to answer this question accurately. As far as I know, cod liver oil tablets work as vitamins, and they should not contradict his illness. But still...

I also take supplements at thorne.com to increase energy. These supplements help my body cope with its chronological age. These supplements were recommended to me by my friend. But before I started taking them, I consulted with my doctor. After receiving approval, I started taking them.

Hoxley77 profile image
Hoxley77

Hi, no he hasn't as still trying to get his prescription medication right at the moment

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