LT
Fellow RX posters
Those of you who need a suggestion for getting your necessary intake of "fish" "oil" are probably not "trolling" in the appropriate waters.
My father always told me one could not catch a "fish" unless one kept his "worm" in the water.
I sincerely hope this is beneficial.
:toast:
VVV
Those of you who need a suggestion for getting your necessary intake of "fish" "oil" are probably not "trolling" in the appropriate waters.
My father always told me one could not catch a "fish" unless one kept his "worm" in the water.
I sincerely hope this is beneficial.
:toast:
VVV
You probably don't take enough fish oil
The results of the recent Heart Scan Blog survey in response to the question: MY DAILY DOSE OF EPA + DHA FROM FISH OIL IS revealed:
Zero--I don't take any
17 (7%) of respondents
Less than 1000 mg per day
24 (10%) of respondents
1000-2000 mg per day
91 (38%) of respondents
2000-3000 mg per day
44 (18%) of respondents
3000-4000 mg per day
40 (16%) of respondents
More than 4000 mg per day
20 (8%) of respondents
Based on the above results, I would say that only a minority of respondents are taking an ideal dose of omega-3 fatty acids. Nearly all of us should consider taking more.
Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA) from fish oil begin around a dose of 840 mg per day, according to the GISSI Prevenzione Trial of 1999, an 11,000-participant trial. This dose also corresponds to a quantity of omega-3s that have been shown to raise EPA + DHA blood levels and thereby reduce the notoriously high AA:EPA ratio of Americans.
But what dose is sufficient? What dose is ideal?
Well, the answer to a great degree depends on what you are taking the fish oil for. If being taken to reduce triglycerides and triglyceride-containing lipoproteins, like VLDL and the after-eating (postprandial) IDL, then a higher dose will be necessary. (Triglyceride reduction for the genetically-determined very high triglyceride level of familial hypertriglyceridemia is the FDA-approved indication for prescription Lovaza.)
If you are taking fish oil for treatment of ADHD, depression, or bipolar illness, very high doses are often necessary.
But how about maximal reduction of cardiovascular risk and for control or reversal of atherosclerotic plaque?
This conversation is still evolving. But we can learn some important lessons from three populations of the world that are vigorous consumers of fish:
--The Inuits (aka Eskimos) of Greenland and northern Canada
--The Japanese
--The Bantus of Tanzania who live along Nyasa Lake
All three indigenous populations have several-fold greater intakes of fish and omega-3 fatty acids, have higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and have enjoyed reduced cardiovascular events, reduced atherosclerotic plaque, or improvement in various surrogates of cardiovascular risk (e.g., Lp(a)).
The most recent addition to this conversation is the ERA JUMP Study, discussed in a previous Heart Scan Blog post. In ERA JUMP, despite being heavy smokers and having other markers for greater risk for heart disease, Japanese men living in Japan had markedly less carotid and coronary plaque, as compared to Caucasian men living in PIttsburgh or Hawaiian men of Japanese descent. The difference appeared to be attributable to serum levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
I believe that the trend is here is to increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that most of us take. In the Track Your Plaque program, we have been advocating a rock-bottom starting dose of EPA + DHA of 1200 mg per day. However, I believe that this is due for a change.
We will be increasing the minimum dose for plaque regression and control. Please attend our Webinar this evening for a full, in-depth discussion of the rationale behind this important change. [EDIT: Enough Fish oil to get 3000mg of Omega 3's.]
As always, let me remind you that I am not selling, nor ever have sold, fish oil supplements. If I advocate a specific dose, a higher dose, I do so based on my interpretation of the data and experience with patients, not because I am interested in selling brand X of fish oil.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search?q=fish+oil
The results of the recent Heart Scan Blog survey in response to the question: MY DAILY DOSE OF EPA + DHA FROM FISH OIL IS revealed:
Zero--I don't take any
17 (7%) of respondents
Less than 1000 mg per day
24 (10%) of respondents
1000-2000 mg per day
91 (38%) of respondents
2000-3000 mg per day
44 (18%) of respondents
3000-4000 mg per day
40 (16%) of respondents
More than 4000 mg per day
20 (8%) of respondents
Based on the above results, I would say that only a minority of respondents are taking an ideal dose of omega-3 fatty acids. Nearly all of us should consider taking more.
Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA + DHA) from fish oil begin around a dose of 840 mg per day, according to the GISSI Prevenzione Trial of 1999, an 11,000-participant trial. This dose also corresponds to a quantity of omega-3s that have been shown to raise EPA + DHA blood levels and thereby reduce the notoriously high AA:EPA ratio of Americans.
But what dose is sufficient? What dose is ideal?
Well, the answer to a great degree depends on what you are taking the fish oil for. If being taken to reduce triglycerides and triglyceride-containing lipoproteins, like VLDL and the after-eating (postprandial) IDL, then a higher dose will be necessary. (Triglyceride reduction for the genetically-determined very high triglyceride level of familial hypertriglyceridemia is the FDA-approved indication for prescription Lovaza.)
If you are taking fish oil for treatment of ADHD, depression, or bipolar illness, very high doses are often necessary.
But how about maximal reduction of cardiovascular risk and for control or reversal of atherosclerotic plaque?
This conversation is still evolving. But we can learn some important lessons from three populations of the world that are vigorous consumers of fish:
--The Inuits (aka Eskimos) of Greenland and northern Canada
--The Japanese
--The Bantus of Tanzania who live along Nyasa Lake
All three indigenous populations have several-fold greater intakes of fish and omega-3 fatty acids, have higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and have enjoyed reduced cardiovascular events, reduced atherosclerotic plaque, or improvement in various surrogates of cardiovascular risk (e.g., Lp(a)).
The most recent addition to this conversation is the ERA JUMP Study, discussed in a previous Heart Scan Blog post. In ERA JUMP, despite being heavy smokers and having other markers for greater risk for heart disease, Japanese men living in Japan had markedly less carotid and coronary plaque, as compared to Caucasian men living in PIttsburgh or Hawaiian men of Japanese descent. The difference appeared to be attributable to serum levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
I believe that the trend is here is to increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that most of us take. In the Track Your Plaque program, we have been advocating a rock-bottom starting dose of EPA + DHA of 1200 mg per day. However, I believe that this is due for a change.
We will be increasing the minimum dose for plaque regression and control. Please attend our Webinar this evening for a full, in-depth discussion of the rationale behind this important change. [EDIT: Enough Fish oil to get 3000mg of Omega 3's.]
As always, let me remind you that I am not selling, nor ever have sold, fish oil supplements. If I advocate a specific dose, a higher dose, I do so based on my interpretation of the data and experience with patients, not because I am interested in selling brand X of fish oil.
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/search?q=fish+oil
There is a lot of disinformation that tries to scare you into buying expensive fish oil. Don't fall for it. There are only a couple of wholesale suppliers.
Fish oil is a commodity. It all comes from the same place.
Costco Kirkland Brand is the cheapest that I know of...and it's completely safe. Don't fall for the marketing gimmicks.
A 2004 analysis of 44 kinds of omega-3 supplements by ConsumerLab.com1, based in Scarsdale, N.Y., found that none had unsafe levels of mercury or PCBs.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119975627038373627.html
Fish oil is a commodity. It all comes from the same place.
Costco Kirkland Brand is the cheapest that I know of...and it's completely safe. Don't fall for the marketing gimmicks.
A 2004 analysis of 44 kinds of omega-3 supplements by ConsumerLab.com1, based in Scarsdale, N.Y., found that none had unsafe levels of mercury or PCBs.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119975627038373627.html
I wholeheartedly disagree.
One can find PHARMACITICAL GRADE fish oil for around the same price as not............so why not take it?
Even if it costs a few cents more, buy the good stuff and make sure your body is avoiding toxins.
1200-2500 mg is probably in the range of the ideal dosage for most.
Personally, as stated, take around 1200 mg per day, in addition to consuming seafood 2-4 times per week.
FH
One can find PHARMACITICAL GRADE fish oil for around the same price as not............so why not take it?
Even if it costs a few cents more, buy the good stuff and make sure your body is avoiding toxins.
1200-2500 mg is probably in the range of the ideal dosage for most.
Personally, as stated, take around 1200 mg per day, in addition to consuming seafood 2-4 times per week.
FH
My Costco brand label says it is filtered to "no detectible mercury or PCBs...and the consumer union independent testing bears this out as well.
But to each his own I guess.
I take 3000 mg EPA/DHA per day for around $10 per month.
If I can avoid having to take statins...and still cut my risk of heart attack/ stroke...it will be well worth it.
