Fish Oil Nutrients

Fish oil is a dietary supplement taken to boost consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids. Although Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in flaxseed oil, this source contains far less fatty acids than fish oil. Even eating fish itself does not come close to providing the dose found in these supplements. A recommended daily allowance has not been set for Omega-3 fatty acids.

Fatty Acids

According to the Nature Made website, two 1,200 mg fish oil soft gels contain 720 mg of various Omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. There are 25 calories in these tablets, along with 1 g of saturated fat, 1 g of unsaturated fat and 25 mg of cholesterol. Other preparations have different amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Benefits

Fish oil consumption has been linked to preventing heart disease. This connection is so strong that in 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration supported a qualified health claim pertaining to Omega-3 fatty acids. After reviewing the status of the research to date, they concluded the evidence supported a qualified claim that consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids reduced the risk of heart disease.

Expert Insight

Ever since the early 1990s, researchers have suspected that fish oil may relieve various inflammatory disorders. Researchers such as J. Donadio of the Mayo Clinic have published extensively on the benefits of fish oil in treating IgA nephropathy, a disease that involves inflammation in the kidneys. For example, a 2000 article in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" by Donadio shows that fish oil reduces urine protein and slows disease progression in patients with IgA nephropathy. A 2009 article appearing in "Nutrition in Clinical Practice" by researchers from Baylor University suggests that the fish oil lowers levels of C reactive protein, a protein that appears when people suffer from an inflammatory disorder.

Misconceptions

Fish oil is not the same thing as cod liver oil. The University of California Berkeley Wellness letter warns that cod liver oil has very high levels of Vitamin A. It notes that 1 tsp. of cod liver oil may have 4.500 IU of Vitamin A. If cod liver oil were taken the same amounts often recommended for fish oil, Vitamin A toxicity would result. Neither fish nor fish oil has appreciable amounts of Vitamin A because this vitamin is found concentrated in the liver.

Warning

The University of Maryland Medical Center warns that products containing Omega-3 fatty acids may interact with blood thinning medications such as Coumadin or Plavix. People who take such drugs and people who bruise easily or have hemophilia or other bleeding disorders should consult their doctor before taking fish oil.