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Omega 3 Fatty Acids: A Quick Guide Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. Omega 3 fatty acids are really important for your health. They do many wonderful things. Here are just a few:
Omega 3 fatty acids come from cold water fish and flax oil. Learning how much to take is sort of an art. Finding your dose requires looking at a number of variables. These include: 1. Your age. If you are a child under the age of 5, you need a lot of a particular kind of omega 3 called DHA to make your brain. If you are over 50, you need more omega 3 to keep your brain at its best. 2. If you are pregnant or nursing you are making baby brain and need more. 3. If you have a history of substance abuse, particularly alcoholism, you have been using a solvent that melts brain cells. You need omega 3 too help restore your brain. 4. If you have any of the inflammatory diseases listed above, you will need a therapeutic dose for a few months. Those diseases are a clue that you are low in omega 3 fatty acids. 5. If you have a family history of cancer or are recovering from cancer, you need more. 6. Your weight affects the dose. In order to bathe your cells in fatty acids, the amount needs to be proportionate. 7. The amount of other fats you eat. Omega 6 fatty acids (the ones that cause problems and inflammation) are found in saturated fats like meat, eggs, cheese and hydrogenated fats in margarine and process foods like bread, crackers, and snack foods. The more white things you eat, the more you will need omega 3s to balance the other fats. Here is a chart to help you sort out how much to take. A 150-pound person needs about 1000 mg. of EPA per day for healthy maintenance. A child under the age of 5 needs about 150 mg of DHA per day and 100 EPA. DHA is the best omega 3 for brain growth. A therapeutic dose is 3-4 times that amount. If you need a therapeutic dose, work up to it over 3-4 weeks, increasing your dose by 1000 mg per week. The final consideration in taking fish oil is to insure that you get oil that comes from a source that is free of heavy metals, tastes ok and does not make you burp fish taste. Those three reasons are why I have chosen the brand we carry in our store. They are certified to be free of heavy metals, they have a very nice flavor and they do not create an after taste. Here is a link to the store if you are interested. http://www.radiantrecoverystore.com Finally, taking fish oil thins your blood, which for the most part is a very good thing. It makes your blood flow more freely and be less sticky. There is disagreement in the scientific community about whether taking fish oils can make you have a faster bleeding time. I have personally observed that taking fish oil makes me more vulnerable to bruising more easily. However, pycnogenol, which is pine bark extract and an excellent anti-oxidant strengthens the capillary walls. Since I have started taking it, I have no problem with bruising. So here is the chart for dosage. Use EITHER the EPA OR Cod Liver Oil, NOT both.
Flax oil is a mixture of different kinds of fatty acids. It is a less concentrated form of omega 3 and works fine for maintenance. |