| How much fish oil does it take to reduce the need for | | | | might also need to focus on improving your diet. |
| anti-inflammatory drugs when people are suffering | | | | If you never eat fish or seafood, you should start with |
| from rheumatoid arthritis? What about the amount | | | | 2000mg per day, but make sure that the brand you |
| that it takes to reduce the risk of heart disease or to | | | | choose is rich in omega-3s and that the DHA content |
| provide optimal nutrition during pregnancy? | | | | is listed. Researchers looking at the question of how |
| Those are just a few of the questions that | | | | much fish oil is needed to improve a person's health or |
| researchers have looked at in recent days. Others | | | | reduce the risk of chronic disease have focused on |
| included the benefits for people with high cholesterol | | | | the omega-3s DHA and EPA. Those are the ones |
| and those with heart disease that did not respond well | | | | found only in fish and seafood. |
| to aspirin therapy. Another looked at dementia. Yet | | | | Most vegan sources of omega-3s contain only ALA. |
| another focused on inflammatory bowel disease. | | | | While ALA may be better for your health than the |
| All of those studies have been conducted and the | | | | omega-6s found in beef, poultry and most other foods, |
| results published within the last six months. Are | | | | it has no proven benefits. |
| omega-3s some kind of miracle drug? Why are they | | | | The content of DHA and EPA varies from one brand |
| so important to human health? | | | | to the next. Some of the "average" brands provide |
| Those are the questions that a lot of people ask. I've | | | | only 180mg of EPA and 120mg of DHA. The better |
| heard my friends and relatives question how | | | | brands provide 280mg of DHA and 120mg of EPA. |
| something could be so important when there are so | | | | When considering how much fish oil to take, it is |
| few dietary sources. | | | | important that the DHA content is higher than the EPA |
| This may surprise you, but at one time, there were | | | | content. DHA can easily be down-converted into the |
| probably many sources of omega-3s. Today, our | | | | shorter-chained EPA; the opposite cannot be easily |
| choices are limited to some types of seafood and | | | | accomplished. |
| fatty fish. When the human diet was rich in seafood, | | | | If you are suffering from a specific disease, you should |
| wild game and fowl (rather than beef, pork and | | | | check with your doctor before exceeding the |
| poultry) supplementation may have been | | | | supplement manufacturer's recommended dosage. |
| unnecessary. Today, it is practically essential. | | | | Studies indicate that 3000mg per day is safe and |
| How much fish oil is necessary to make up for the | | | | some doctors recommend that amount. Yours might |
| inadequate diets that most people survive on? There | | | | not. It's better to be safe than sorry. |
| is no way to be sure. This is not a cure-all or miracle | | | | 2000mg per day is how much fish oil I take. That |
| drug and should not be looked at in that way. You | | | | might be the right choice for you, too. |