Supplements like fish oil are usually added to your diet to improve your overall health. Fish oil is an essential addition to your heart healthy diet because it has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease. When you are taking fish oil it is important to base your dose on the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the capsule, not the total amount of fish oil in the capsule.
Fish Oil and Omega-3
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, fish oil dosing should be based on the amount of eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which are forms of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential dietary fats that your body must get through diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are the key ingredient in fish oil that provides the health benefits. Supplements vary in the amounts and ratios of EPA and DHA and therefore you should look on the label to determine how much is in your fish oil capsule.
Recommendations
Fish oil capsules contain varying amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the fish oil. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that a common amount of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil capsules is around 0.18 grams, which includes about 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA. It further states that adults should not take more than 3 g of omega-3 fatty acids each day. It is also recommended that you discuss any supplement with your health care provider to see if there are any risks associated with taking the supplement if you are on certain medications.
Benefits
Fish oil is popular because omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease, arthritis and cancer, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Fish oil is naturally found in cold water fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. The American Heart Association recommends that you include fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet at least two times per week to get the health benefits associated with fish oil.
Considerations
If you choose to take a fish oil supplement, it is important that you check the label and note the amounts of EPA and DHA to ensure that you stay below the 3 g per day recommendation. In addition the American Heart Association states that some types of fish may contain high levels of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins and other environmental contaminants. Therefore you should check to see that the fish oil product that you select has been tested by a third party to be pure and free from contaminants.
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