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What is the proper fish oil dosage?
How much Omega 3 you should take daily depends on why you are taking it.
From extensive research studies done in the last 20 years, Omega 3 has been proven to be beneficial for people suffering from these problems:
- Coronary Heart Disease
- High Triglycerides
- High Blood Pressure
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- And many more.
Let’s look at the recommended amount of Omega 3 you should take daily to benefit these conditions and for general preventive use.
Coronary Heart Disease
As per research, Omega-3 fatty acids have significantly reduced the risk of sudden death caused by cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).
Further, it has shown positive results in death by any cause in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).
And that is significant because cardiac arrhythmias account for 50 to 60 percent of all deaths in persons with CHD.
How much Omega 3 should you take daily to get these benefits?
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that people with diagnosed CHD consume about 1 gram (1000 mg) of EPA and DHA Omega-3 fatty acids daily, preferably from eating fish.
However, many people do not like fish or do not have access to a good supply of fish, and it is probably not reasonable to expect most people to eat one or more servings of fish per day.
Because different fish have different amounts of Omega 3s, to get the recommended 1 gram of Omega-3 fatty acids, you would need to eat:
- One to two servings of salmon
- Four to seven servings of cod
- Four servings of shrimp per day.
Since that isn’t realistic, the AHA suggests considering an Omega-3 supplement that gives you 1 gram (1000 mg) of combined DHA and EPA daily.
Be sure to do this under the supervision of your health care provider.
High Triglycerides
Many studies have proven that Omega 3 fatty acids help lower plasma triglyceride levels, particularly in people with high triglyceride levels (hyper-triglyceridemia).
How much Omega 3 should you take daily to lower your triglyceride?
An expert review of several human studies concluded that approximately 4 grams (4000 mg) per day of Omega-3 fatty acids reduced triglyceride concentrations by 25 to 30 percent.
The American Heart Association recommends that people with high triglycerides take an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement with 2 to 4 grams (2000 to 4000 mg) of EPA and DHA (combined).
You don’t have to take all of this fish oil at once.
Splitting your intake into two daily dosages decreases some of the bothersome Omega-3 side effects, such as a fishy aftertaste and belching, which some people experience.
As mentioned above, the AHA recommends that you take omega-3 fatty acids for this use under the supervision of your healthcare provider.
High Blood Pressure
For people with High Blood Pressure, Omega-3 fatty acids appear to have a dose-related effect. The more you take, the greater the blood pressure reduces.
So, how much Omega 3 should you take daily to get a suitable reduction in your blood pressure?
Omega-3 dosage to reduce High Blood Pressure
One study found that 5.6 grams (5600 mg) per day of fish oil reduced blood pressure by 3.4/2.0 mm Hg.
Another study found modest blood pressure reductions of 5.5/3.5 mm Hg in trials where patients received at least 3 grams per day of fish oil.
Consult your physician about the dose of fish oil you should take to reduce your high blood pressure.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Research studies have established that Omega 3 fish oil benefits people who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis.
But, how much Omega 3 should you take daily to get these benefits?
Omega 3 Dosage for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Several studies have found that fish oil at dosages of at least 3 grams (3000 mg) per day significantly reduced morning stiffness and the number of tender, swollen joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
There were two other findings of these studies that are important.
The beneficial effects were more common in patients receiving higher dosages of fish oil and were not apparent until fish oil had been consumed for at least 12 weeks.
So, hang in there even if you don’t see immediate results.
It has also been reported that reducing dietary intake of Omega-6 fatty acids while increasing consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids reduces inflammation.
Also, it allows some Rheumatoid Arthritis patients to reduce or discontinue the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).
How Much Omega 3 Should You Take Daily For Preventive Purposes?
If you are not suffering from any of the diseases discussed before, the dosage of Omega-3 fatty acids would be different.
However, if you are taking a fish oil supplement, the recommendation is that you take 2 grams (2000 mg) per day and not more than 3 grams (3000 mg) without your doctor’s approval.
Why not more than 3 grams (3000 mg) per day?
According to research studies, Omega-3 fatty acids exert a dose-related effect on bleeding time.
You should not take too much fish oil supplement, especially if you are already taking a blood-thinning medication.
However, it is also observed that there are no documented cases of abnormal bleeding due to fish oil supplementation, even at high dosages and in combination with other anticoagulant medications.
Moreover, the American Heart Association (AHA) does not recommend Omega-3 fatty acid supplements for people who do not have a diagnosis of heart disease or high triglycerides.
Instead, they recommend that healthy people eat a variety of fish at least twice a week.
However, eating enough fish is not always practical or cost-effective, and there are also concerns that fish may come from polluted waters and contain mercury or other dioxins.
Other extensive studies have also stated that taking fish oil supplements improves Omega-3 status in healthy adults.
So, for all the above reasons, it is always recommended to take fish oil supplements only under the supervision of your doctors or health professionals.
How to maintain the Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids ratio?
Omega 3s have several proven health benefits, and, for the reasons explained here, taking a pure, safe fish oil supplement is beneficial.
However, reducing your consumption of Omega 6s, another essential fatty acid, is just as crucial to your health as taking in Omega 3s.
As you may know, Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation. However, most Omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation.
Found in foods such as eggs, poultry, cereals, vegetable oils, and baked goods, Omega-6s support skin health, lower cholesterol, and help make our blood “sticky” so it can clot.
But problems can arise when Omega-6s are not balanced with sufficient amounts of Omega-3s.
When blood is too “sticky,” it promotes clot formation, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
The ideal ratio of Omega 6s to Omega 3s is between 2:1 and 4:1.
However, people who eat a modern Western diet take in about 20 times more Omega 6s than Omega 3s, causing a severe problem for themselves.
To avoid such problems, you should reduce your intake of Omega-6 loaded with processed foods, corn oil, sunflower, safflower oil, and soybean oil.
Further, you can take daily fish oil supplements to reduce the effects of Omega-6 fatty acids.
So, how much Omega 3 should you take daily? What’s the proper dosage? The answer varies depending on why you are taking the Omega 3.
