Is Fish Oil Making You Burp?

Is Fish Oil Making You Burp?

Gall bladder. Bile stasis.

By far the most common thing I hear that my patients tell me when they have any kind of gastrointestinal issue is that they started taking probiotics. Probiotics have become a new miracle supplement for any kind of GI issue.

Probiotics though popular shouldn’t be on the top of the list of what’s helpful for your gut, simply because probiotics affect the colon and colon is literally the last in the series of organs in the digestive tract and arguably the least important one.

Burping, belching, acid reflux are issues of upper GI tract and usually involving stomach, pancreas and gall bladder. All three of these organs work together to disinfect, break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats and send them down the GI track from further processing and absorption. Fish aftertaste or having fishy burps is one of the indications of biliary stasis. Biliary stasis is a condition in which the flow of bile or its production in liver is suppressed. Consequently, not enough bile flows into the small intestine and person cannot digest important food such as fats. Other symptoms of biliary stasis include pale, floating stools, itchy skin, yellowish cast of whites of the eye, metallic taste and lower abdominal bloating and gas hours after eating. One doesn’t have to eat French fries or greasy burgers to experience these symptoms. Even healthy eaters who eat fat containing foods such as avocados, olive oil and fatty fish can have sometimes only mild symptoms and other times symptoms can be more severe.
Certain medications, such as birth control and hormonal replacement can cause biliary stasis other causes can be due to stone obstruction, tumor or some other obstruction of the duct, pregnancy and women of menopausal age can experience this problem too. It is more common in females that in males by about 2/1 ratio.

Liver

In some cases biliary stasis is a sign of a larger problem, liver stress or liver damage.

Liver is a very adaptive organ and can deal with toxins and in many cases can regenerate itself well. Unfortunately, if the exposure is long enough or toxins are powerful enough, and the liver isn’t getting the right ingredients, the balance can tip and liver begins to struggle.

Many factors can place a burden on the liver. Alcohol consumption, smoking, stress and anxiety, pesticides from unwashed foods, artificial flavors, colors and heavy metal exposure. Certain drugs such as pain relievers, antibiotics, anti fungals, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antihypertensive and hormones can cause liver toxicity.

Liver is a metabolic and a filtering organ. This means that if liver isn’t working well, toxicity builds up in the whole body and person’s energy levels plummet. Some of the other symptoms include stomach and upper back pain, metallic taste in the moth, bloating even after few hours after eating, itchy skin, red skin, greasy skin and dandruff, yellowish cast to eyes, changes in stools and issues digesting fatty foods.

If you’re experiencing any of this symptoms it’s a good idea to talk to a professional who can help and figure out what’s causing your symptoms and how best to treat them.

Important nutrients for Liver and Gall Bladder function.

The good news is the liver is extremely adaptive and can regenerate itself given it has all the right ingredients and nutrients.

Taurine – amino acid that is very important for bile production.

Glycine – important to make liver essential compounds, such as glutathione, creatine and collagen. It shown protection from alcohol-induced damage and improve sleep quality and heart health.

Milk Thistle – contains silymarin, an antioxidant that protects against cell damage.

Dandelion – aid digestion, and promote healthy liver and gallbladder.

Trimethylglycine – protects liver agains damaging homocysteine and it is good for methylation.