Fish Oil & Gastric Reflux

Gastric reflux, more commonly known as heartburn, occurs when digestive acids in the stomach get past the sphincter muscle at the top of your stomach and flow up the esophagus. Gastric reflux is a fairly common condition, afflicting most people at some point. Some people get heartburn after eating fish oil and naturally worry that the fish oil might contribute to the burning sensation they feel in their chest. While the well-documented health benefits of fish oil are considerable, the side effects are generally mild, and you can usually minimize them by following certain precautions when you take your fish oil.

Acid Reflux

Food flows through your esophagus and enters your stomach by passing through the lower esophageal sphincter, a muscle that loosens to allow food to enter the stomach, and then tightens to keep the food and stomach contents contained. Acid reflux occurs when this sphincter malfunctions and allows food, digestive acid and fluid to flow back up the esophagus. This can create a feeling of bloating and discomfort as the stomach acids stimulate pain receptors within the esophagus. When it occurs on a chronic basis, the esophageal lining can deteriorate, creating a condition called Barett's esophagus. People with Barett's esophagus have a 30- to125-fold increased risk of esophageal cancer, reports Dr. Yvonne Romero from the Mayo Clinic. (reference: EurekAlert!) The chronic tendency to experience gastric reflux is commonly referred to as GERD, short for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Inflammation And GERD

The various causes and risk factors for GERD include hernias, medications, vomiting, obesity and surgery, and certain foods contribute to reflux by relaxing the sphincter or increasing the acidity of your stomach contents. But, no matter the contributing factors, inflammation of the esophagus or esophageal sphincter is a common result.

Fish Oil And Inflammation

If you experience chronic reflux, taking fish oil can help reduce the inflammation associated with GERD. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are anti-inflammatory: they promote immune systems responses that decrease inflammation. Take dosages of 2.7 to 3 g of fish oil to obtain the anti-inflammatory benefits, advises rheumatologist Leslie Cleland. Understand that anti-inflammatory effects can take two to three months. So, far from causing reflux, fish oil can improve the inflammation and irritation of the esophagus that occurs because of reflux. Of course, this may be hollow comfort to you if you have the experience of pain, burning and discomfort after eating fish oil. The fish oil does contain fatty acids, so if you are troubled with reflux, the acids in the fish oil can contribute to burning sensations if it backs up past the sphincter into the esophagus.

Avoiding And Minimizing Reflux

You can reduce the likelihood of heartburn sometimes associated with fish oil by following certain procedures. Always take fish oil on an empty stomach just before you eat a meal. The acidic fish oil mixes with your food and beverage, reducing the concentration of the acid in your stomach and it accompanies the food as it leaves your stomach and goes into the small intestine. Avoid overeating, as the pressure distends your stomach and places pressure on the esophageal sphincter; if you are vulnerable to reflux, excessive eating will make it worse. Likewise, avoid drinking a lot of fluid at the same time as you take your fish oil. Fish oil has a lower specific gravity than water and most other liquids you drink, so the oil floats on top. When your sphincter opens to allow food or beverage in, some of the floating fish oil can wash back up into the esophagus. For similar reasons, avoid aerated or carbonated beverages when taking fish oil. Also, avoid lying down after taking fish oil. If you suffer from chronic reflux and get heartburn even when following these procedures, it may be best for you to not take fish oil.