Omega-3 fatty acids are fats that your body needs but can't make on its own. You have to get these fats from your diet. There are two major dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids: fatty fish and plants. Fish oil is an important dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids. To enhance omega-3 fats intake, oils from fatty fish are often extracted and packaged into capsules, such as in fish oil concentrate, and used as dietary supplements for omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish Oil
The fish commonly used to make fish oil are deep-water oily fish such as salmon, herring, anchovy, sardine and mackerel. These fish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. A 3 oz. serving of salmon, for example, provides approximately 1 g of omega-3 fats, according to the USDA nutrient database. There are two types of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil -- eicosapentaenoic acid, also known as EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, also known as DHA. Each fish oil capsule generally contains 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA. Check on the supplement label for the amount because different health condition may require different doses.
Best Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Plant oils such as canola oil, soybean oil and flaxseed oil provide an alternative source of omega-3 fatty acids. However, the omega-3 fats in plants are alpha-linolenic acids, or ALA. You body can convert ALA to EPA and DHA at a very low rate, based on the review by Oregon State University. Diabetics and people with schizophrenia may not be able to convert them at all and need to get omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil. In addition, the University of Maryland Medical Center warns that unlike fish oil, taking ALA may actually increase the risk of macular degeneration and prostate cancer. Fish oil lowers the risk of these diseases.
Benefits
Besides the well-known benefits to brain and eye development, omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and promote recovery after heart surgeries, according to the National Institutes of Health. Fish oil may also be helpful for alleviating the symptoms of depression and attention-deficit disorder. For people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or painful menses, fish oil may provide a certain degree of pain relief.
Doses
As reported by the University of Maryland Medical Center, the American Heart Association recommends 1 g of EPA and DHA daily for people with coronary heart disease and 2 to 4 g daily for people with high cholesterol. Doses ranging from 1 to 10 g of fish oil daily have been used to treat depression, rheumatoid arthritis and attention-deficit disorder, based on the data collected by the National Institutes of Health. Too much fish oil consumption can raise the risk of bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke, compromise immunity, increase the risk of infection, and raise the bad cholesterol in the blood. Consult with your doctor if you have an underlying health condition or are taking medications that may interact with fish oil.
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