Unless you eat seafood, and specifically fatty fish, at least twice a week, you may need fish oil supplements to meet the recommended amount of omega-3 fats for general health or specific health conditions (heart disease or high triglyceride levels) on a daily basis.
Benefits
Long chain omega-3 fats (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) have anti-inflammatory properties, and fish oil supplements have been shown to reduce the risk of diseases associated with inflammation like heart attacks, arthritis, cancer, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and depression.
Sources
There are different types of fish oil supplements, including salmon, sardine and cod liver oil. Salmon oil typically has the highest concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) combined. There are also fish oil concentrates that contain more EPA and DHA per pill.
Dosage
Based on the recommendations made by the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids, 650 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA with a minimum of 220 milligrams from each is needed for general health. The American Heart Association recommends those with documented heart disease should take one gram of EPA and DHA combined per day. Those with high triglycerides should take 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA combined per day.
Choosing fish oil supplement
The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a dietary supplement trade association, establishes voluntary standards for purity and quality. Environmental Defense, a non-profit organization, uses these criteria to evaluate fish oil supplements, and their findings can be viewed on their website, Oceansalive.org, under fish oil supplements.
Side effects
An intake of more than 3,000 milligrams of fish oil may increase the risk of bleeding. However, when the American Heart Association reviewed possible side effects of fish oil supplementation, minimal problems were found. Always check with your doctor if you want to start on fish oil supplements, especially if you are on medication or having surgery.
References
- Kris-Etherton,PM.,et al. Fish Consumption, Fish oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Cardiovascular Disease." Circulation 106 (2002):2754
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