Many dietary supplements are marketed as a way to ensure that you get an adequate amount of a particular nutrient that your body cannot produce, while others are marketed as a way of reducing your risk of developing a certain disease. Omega-3 supplements have shown to be of great benefit in keeping your heart healthy.
Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are substances that your body needs to keep healthy but cannot produce. You must get omega-3s from the foods you eat. Fatty fish, such as albacore tuna, mackerel and salmon, and some plants and nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. You can also get your omega-3 fatty acids from food supplements. If you are pregnant or nursing or if you want to ensure that your young child gets an adequate supply of omega-3 fatty acids, consider using food supplements instead of fish to avoid concerns regarding heavy metals and other environmental contaminants in the fish.
Dosage
A dose of 3 g or less per day of omega-3 fatty acids is considered healthy for most adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. There is a great possibility that taking more than this amount may be considered unsafe, might keep blood from clotting and increase your chances of bleeding. In some people, taking high doses of omega-3 fatty acids may actually increase the amount of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol -- the so-called "bad" cholesterol -- in their system. In the case of people with diabetes, there is some concern that taking high doses of omega-3 may make it more difficult to control blood sugar.
General Safety
Overdosing aside, there have been no reported side effects that led to death, life-threatening illness, significant disability, or handicap in the more than 10,000 subjects who have taken omega-3 supplements in various forms, doses and durations over numerous studies, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports. Omega-3 fatty acids did not appear generally to have any effect on the frequency of bleeding events, although two cases of mild bleeding were reported. The side effects that were reported were mild, easily managed and generally gastronomic in nature.
Allergies and Side Effects
However, if you are allergic or hypersensitive to fish, you should avoid any omega-3 fatty acid supplements that are derived from fish oil. Similarly, if you are allergic or hypersensitive to nuts, you should avoid any omega-3 fatty acids supplements that are derived from nuts. You may develop a vitamin E deficiency if you take fish oil for many months and because of this, several commercial fish oil products have vitamin E added to them which may unintentionally lead to high levels of vitamin E, a fat soluble vitamin. The same risk exists for vitamins A and D, in the case of supplements derived from fish liver oil, so you need to be careful to avoid vitamin toxicity. At any rate, always consult your health practitioner when using supplements and never give supplements to any child younger than 18 without the supervision of a physician.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 fatty acids
- American Pregnancy Association: Attention Mothers and Mothers-to-be: Consider Omega-3 Supplementation for the Health of Your Baby
- MedlinePlus.com: Fish Oil
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Health
- MayoClinic.com: Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Fish Oil, Alpha-Linolenic Acid
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