Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital to your health. Fish oil helps keep up your metabolism for weight loss, improves memory and concentration and can lower your cholesterol levels. The White House asked the USDA to update its Food Guide Pyramid to recommend omega-3 from fish and fish oil, and the American Heart Association suggests taking fish oil to protect your heart. Fish oil comes from the cells of oily fish. While omega-3 is the most commonly known acid, fish oil also contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is easy to incorporate fish oil into your diet if you know the right kind to take and when to take it.
Step 1
Decide what kind of fish oil to take. There are three grades of fish oil. Cod liver oil, health-food grade fish oil and pharmaceutical-grade fish oil. Cod liver oil is the lowest quality and is not recommended if taking high doses. Health-food fish oil is manufactured from fish body oils and may contain contaminants. Pharmaceutical-grade fish oil is distilled into rich long chains of omega-3 acids. Pharmaceutical grade fish oil tends to be the most neutral in taste and is the easiest to digest.
Step 2
Read the label. Your fish oil should list the specific kinds of fish used to make the fish oil. Salmon, tuna and anchovies contain the best kinds of omega-3 fish oils. Make sure the label on your fish oil says omega-3 fatty acids. "Fish oil" is not the same thing. Also, make sure the amount of EPA and DHA is on the label. If there isn't a high amount of EPA and DHA in your fish oil, then you are getting a lot of filler oils, which may contain contaminants. The oil should only be from the flesh of the fish--you don't want your fish oil pills to contain oils that have been pressed from the head, tail or organs of the fish. The fish used in your fish oil pills should be screened and disease-free and should say that on the label. Choose a an oil that's marked as 100 percent pure.
Step 3
Know the right dosage. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week, or taking a pill with 500 to 1,000mg of omega-3 fatty acids, including both EPA and DHA per day. If you are recovering from a heat attack, the American Heart Association recommends you should take 1,000mg (1g) of omega-3 per day. The American Heart Association recommends people with high cholesterol should get even more omega-3--between 2 and 4g. The AHA recommends splitting up your dosage. Take your fish oil pills in smaller doses twice a day to help reduce the side effects.
Step 4
Take your fish oil pills right after you eat, because your digestive enzymes will metabolize the fish oil more quickly. You also reduce the chances of an upset stomach when you take your fish oil during or right after a meal.
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