Omega3Guide

fish oil Multi

It is a good bet that if you  research  fifty websites you will read about dozens of benefits but will rarely find anything  about fish oil side effects. I have   seen  sites that claim that there is no risk whatsoever,  even if you take huge doses. These hype artists give all of us a bad name.

The reason people have been using cold water fatty fish in their diets either at dinner or by supplement is very simple. It works. Whole populations from coastal areas have been living witnesses to their benefits for thousands of years.

 

The key is a group of 3 fatty acids called omega-3s. The first two, DHA and EPA, are the most important. The 3rd one, ALA, is derived from flaxseed oil. Your body changes ALA into DHA and EPA. In other words, fish oil is a much more direct method  of  absorbing this group.

 

Before we get into the fish oil side effects, here is a short list of benefits:  a lower incidence  of heart disease,  high blood   pressure, arthritis, AMD [age-related macular degeneration], loss of bone mass, skin and hair problems and different types of cancer.

 

What we as consumers have to be careful of is how we source and how we consume this valuable nutrient.

 

How careful?

 

DHA and EPA are responsible for making hormones that regulate various blood and immune system related processes.

 

1] They make  platelets, the tiny cells in your blood that form clots, less adhesive and less likely to clump together; this can  result in  fewer   strokes. In other words, what we have here is a natural blood thinner. The problem is that it can interfere with prescribed blood thinners like coumadin, warfarin or even aspirin. If your doctor has you on any medication like these, you need to get approval before adding any supplement to your diet.

2] Large doses of supplements can cause excessive bleeding ranging from nosebleeds to blood in the urine and might even cause a stroke. The good news here is that large doses are simply not needed. The FDA believes the upper safe limit is 3 grams per day.

3] Because Vitamin E is used to metabolize omega acids, too many grams/day could cause a Vitamin E deficiency. If you are taking, and you should, a balanced multi nutrient supplement this should not be a problem.

3] Be cautious of products like cod liver oil. It is loaded with the fat soluble Vitamins A and D. Too much can cause toxic overloads. However if your  omega-3  oil source is from fatty cold water fish, there shouldn’t be an issue.

4] Sometimes the fish oil side effects are caused by where they live. Ocean pollution is a problem that hardly existed a generation ago. Almost any wild source now is probably going to have either mercury or PCBs in them. In fact, the FDA suggests a limited weekly consumption because of the potential toxicity.

5] You might be thinking: what about the farm raised variety? They may have lower levels of pollutants but they also have almost no omega-3 content. The pellets that most of them are fed pretty much guarantee that.

What should we do?

To avoid the fish oil side effects and get maximum benefits, use a daily dose of a fish oil supplement of around 2 grams or so. Make sure that it is high in DHA/EPA content, uses fresh fish when  processed  and is molecularly distilled to remove the contaminants.

For the past 30 years, Milton Haslam has been a strong proponent of natural health in all its forms. Milton researches and educates on choosing nutritional supplements and enjoys introducing people to the best natural products he can find. Visit Milton’s website today at http://www.omega-3-guide.com/ to discover which supplements he recommends after extensive comparisons.