Posted by Larry Hoover on April 10, 2003, at 9:00:16
In reply to thanks both of you, posted by Ritch on April 9, 2003, at 23:07:30
> OK, it looks like warming the contents to get it to clarify is probably OK. That's what I am going to do when I take a dose. Pull it out of the fridge and swirl it around while I run warm water over it until it turns clear. Then pour out a teaspoon dose and then put it back in the frige.
That sounds fine.
>From what the label reads it is ALL Omega-3 fatty acids (I just went and read it). Each teaspoon has 1600mg of Omega-3.
One teaspoon of an oil would be about 4000 mg. There are definitely other fatty acids present.
>800mg EPA+500mg DHA+300mg "other". I'm just as interested in the DHA as the EPA. Perhaps the "other" is what is solidifying? OH well.
I'm sure they mean other omega-3s, like alpha-linolenic.
All the fatty acids in the fish oil are in the form known as a triclyceride. That's a glycerol (same thing as glycerine) molecule attached to three fatty acids by separate ester bonds. Each triglyceride could have any number of combinations of the fatty acids present in the fish oil. You could have one triglyceride molecule with three EPAs tacked on, while the one right next to it has three stearic acids. Stearic acid, by the way, comes from the word meaning "solid". Stearic acid is solid at room temperature. More likely, however, are triglycerides with mixtures of different fatty acids, e.g. one EPA, one stearic, and one oleic. The mixture triglycerides are going to have properties which are mixtures of the properties of the individual fatty acids.
The fish oil stays liquid at room temperature, so there is not likely to be a large number of triglycerides with just stearic acid in them. At refrigerator temperature, there will be enough triglycerides that have dominant saturated character that will condense. Those with dominant polyunsaturated character will not condense, will remain liquid, and will be more easily decanted into the teaspoon. Over time, you'll shift the character of the remaining oil towards saturation, unless you take steps to homogenize it before you decant any.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:216908
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030407/msgs/218124.html