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Difference Between a Pill and Liquid COD Liver Oil

Jul 6, 2011 | By Judy Wilson
Difference Between a Pill and Liquid COD Liver Oil
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Cod liver oil is a popular supplement that adults and children take. A fish oil made from cod, this nutritional supplement contains vitamins A and D, plus the omega-3 fats DHA and EPA. All of these nutrients are essential for health, and some people do not get enough of them in their daily diets. You can purchase cod liver oil in pill or liquid form, and there are some key differences between these. You will typically find pill supplements in softgel-type format. Many brands of cod liver oil exist and you can purchase them from health food stores and online retailers. Consult your health practitioner if you need guidance on taking cod liver oil.

Taste

Taking liquid cod liver oil means you swallow a certain amount of the product from a spoon. Some people find the taste unpleasant or fishy, although some cod liver oil supplements contain flavoring that can enhance or mask the taste. With pill forms of cod liver oil, you do not have to taste the oil, although some people claim that they experience more aftertaste or burping from pill cod liver oil than from liquid forms. One way to mask liquid cod liver oil taste is to mix the oil into a smoothie, juice, or other beverage.

Convenience

One major difference between liquid and pill forms of cod liver oil is convenience. At home, you can easily swallow a pill, whereas it can be somewhat more inconvenient and time consuming to measure out and swallow liquid cod liver oil. Also, cod liver oil can be messy and can drip from the bottle onto tables, countertops or clothing. Liquid cod liver oil typically needs to be refrigerated, another inconvenient factor. Also, it is usually easier to take pills with you when you are away from home.

Potency

Amounts of the nutrients, such as vitamin A and D, can differ between the pill and liquid forms of cod liver oil, with some pill forms containing higher amounts of these nutrients. Thus, if you take a pill containing higher nutrient amounts, you might need to take less cod liver oil to get the equivalent or higher nutrient dosage. This, in turn, could yield a price savings compared to purchasing liquid cod liver oil.

Absorption

Many people believe that the body absorbs liquid supplements more readily or easily than pill forms of supplements, because the body does not need to work as much to digest the supplements and because liquid supplements tend to be absorbed quickly. Thus, the vitamins and nutrients in cod liver oil might be better absorbed if you take liquid cod liver oil.

Additives

Pill forms of nutritional supplements typically contain more additives and fillers than liquid supplements do. If you are looking for a cod liver oil supplement containing few fillers or additives, consider purchasing a liquid product. To know what additives are in cod liver oil supplements, thoroughly read the ingredients on the product labels of supplements you are considering.

References

Article reviewed by Jenna Marie Last updated on: Jul 6, 2011

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