Tesco Cod Liver Oil and Glucosamine review
Tesco’s Own Cod Liver Oil & Glucosamine
This product offers a month’s supply (thirty capsules) of cod liver oil, glucosamine and Vitamins A, D and C. It promises the maintenance of healthy joints and provides the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D.
The Promise
The product contains ‘important fatty acids EPA and DHA’ along with a variety of vitamins and minerals. The boast is that the capsules contribute to cartilage formation which will keep the consumer’s joints in good condition.
What We Found
Our test has used Tesco Cod Liver Oil supplements from a different supplier for many years, and happily volunteered to try out this, presumably enhanced, version. Her first shock was the size of the capsule: they are large, fairly thick and an unappetising dark brownish-maroon – the ones she has had before have always been a pleasant golden-yellow, transparent and much smaller and easier to swallow. She persisted, nevertheless, and found that she really struggled through the required two-week test. This was so bad that by the end of the test period, she admitted that had she been asked to continue for any longer, she may well have stopped taking the supplement altogether, whereas the previous product had been a unnoticeable addition to her daily routine without any negative effects. She did not feel as healthy or energetic as she did when taking other supplements, as though this product was either not working, or not working as well as the one she was accustomed to. The problems are explained below.
Ratings
Taste: These tablets are tasteless, as promised, but they repeated on her from the first day. Each time they repeated (made her belch) she got an unpleasant oily, bitter taste at the back of her throat. This effect also seemed to be cumulative, getting worse every day that she took a capsule. 1/ 5
Ability to mix: It is recommended that the capsule be taken with a meal, and our tester did this for the first week. For the second week, wondering if taking the capsule by itself would resolve the repeating issue, she took it by itself. There was no discernible difference to her, and she tried a variety of foods with the capsule with no issues. 3/ 5
Texture: The capsule is smooth, but when wet becomes slightly tacky. This can make it tricky to swallow unless taking it is performed in one smooth, fast action. This, combined with the size of the pill, can make taking it an unpleasant experience. 1/ 5
Ingredients: Aside from the active ingredients, this product contains: beef gelatin, beeswax, and sunflower seed oil, amongst others. This makes it unsuitable for both vegans and vegetarians. 4/ 5
Price: At just three pounds (£3.00) this product is not expensive. But taken with its lack of efficacy, it is a false economy, certainly in our tester’s eyes – she has returned, happily, to her preferred, more expensive, brand. 2/ 5
