Is it OK to Break Open Fish Oil Pills If You Have Trouble Swallowing?

Is it OK to break open fish oil pills? Some people have trouble swallowing pills and capsules. They may have problems with any pills or capsules.

Here is the answer, with some tips on what you need to know about fish oil, and break down capsules and pills open.

Why breaking fish oil pills is harmless

Fish oil is present in soft skin made of gelatin. Gelatin is there to hold oil; you don't have to. So it's really OK to break it down and pour some oil into the food or whatever is easy to swallow. You can remove the gelatin.

This is especially useful for someone who is having trouble swallowing the pill.

This is great for little ones too. Fish oil is the best source of omega 3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are very important for the healthy development of infants and children. The brain contains over 60 percent of the fat, and the most important fat is DHA (Docosahexenoic Acid) found in rich fish supply such as mackerel, anchovies, tuna, salmon and a few others.

So easy and easy to break down gelatin and pour precious omega 3 oil into juice or formula or mix it into a child's diet.

Why this might be a bad idea for other supplements

Fish oil pills are NOT pills, they are capsules - soft shells to hold oil. A pill (or tablet) is actually a little difficult, like aspirin, for example. For most pills, there is something wrong with breaking it into two pieces (or two).

If that makes the pill easy to swallow - or you just want to take half the dose - it works well.

When is it NOT okay?

Well, there are some great supplements that come in pills coated with enteric. Insect-coated pills or tablets are made that way for important purposes. Enteric coating protects the pills from breaking down in stomach acid.

Why not?

Because there are some essential nutrients that are destroyed or damaged by stomach acid. Carnosine is one example of valuable nutrients that are severely damaged by stomach acid. For this reason, any enteric coated pill cannot be broken down.

But it's good to break fish oil pills.

You get your essential omega 3, and it's a good thing for your health.

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