The Truth About Fish Oil Dosage

Let’s face it, when we start looking at new supplements we’ve heard are beneficial, the dosages are typically shrouded in mystery.  How do you determine fish oil dosage?  Can we treat it like medication and simply use body weight and age, or is there more to the picture than that?  Is there even a need to define a dosage when it comes to fish oil supplements?  Is there such a thing as “too little” or “too much” fish oil?

The question of determining fish oil dosage needs to be answered not in terms of age and weight, but rather in terms of eicosanoid balance.  

Eicosanoids (Eye-ko-sun-oids) and You

Eicosanoids can be generally defined as signaling molecules within the body that play vital roles in nearly every bodily process.  They are derived from omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and can either work vastly in your favor to promote longevity and freedom from chronic illness, or they can work against you in the exact opposite manner causing early mental and physical breakdown.

Good Eicosanoids

Good eicosanoids are derived from omega 3 fatty acids typically found in fresh fish, walnuts, fish oil supplements, flax seeds, sprouts, algae and kale.  The “good” eicosanoids will provide your body with tremendous benefit.  For example:

• Blood thinning and clot reduction
• Dilation of the arteries increasing blood flow to the body and more importantly, the brain.
• Reduced physical pain and inflammation
• Decreased rates of cell division
• A stronger immune system
• Improved brain function due to better blood flow

Bad Eicosanoids

Bad eicosanoids, as their name implies, are not helpful in the least.  We can treat them as doing the exact opposite of what the good ones do.  If the bad eicosanoids present in your body are not sufficiently counteracted with daily intake of omega 3, you will experience inflammation, memory problems, fatigue, depression and a whole host of other chronic conditions.

So, what does this all have to do with fish oil dosage?  Well, the goal we want to focus on is maintaining proper balance between the “good” and the “bad” eicosanoids.  The “bad” are created directly from omega 6 sources like soybean oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, saturated fats and trans-fats.  You should avoid these as much as possible to keep your bad eicosanoids to a minimum.

The “good” on the other hand come from daily intake of omega 3 fatty acids.  The best source for this is undoubtedly high fish oil dosage supplements, but you can also get your intake from pumpkin seeds or flax.  Since the concentration of omega 3 in these sources is relatively low, you would need to consume large quantities to get the proper amount.  This is why high fish oil dosage supplements are so desirable.

Back to the Dosage Question

So, exactly what fish oil dosage do we need to consume on a daily basis?  Well, the answer is not in your weight, or age.  The fish oil dosage question can be answered by taking a good look at how you feel and what your overall health is like.  

• Are you always tired?
• Do you have body aches and inflammation?
• Are you feeling like you have diminished mental capacity?
• Are you having trouble focusing?
• Do you have a short attention span?
• Do you have hypertension?

There are many other maladies bad eicosanoids can cause, but if you answered “yes” to most or all of these questions, you should start on 3-4 grams per day.  In some people with more severe forms of chronic diseases, it is not uncommon for the fish oil dosage to be close to 10g.  At the same time you should start to reduce your intake of foods that contain omega 6.  Remember, the goal here is to boost the good eicosanoids with omega 3 and reduce the bad eicosanoids by reducing omega 6.  

If you are on any type of blood thinning medication like Coumadin, you should speak with your doctor before ever ingesting fish oil supplements.  Since fish oil supplements thin the blood, it is important to consider how this effect combines with the blood thinning effects of Coumadin.  

On the other hand, if you answered “yes” to one or two of these questions you’re probably still in the first 2-3 decades of life and in great shape.  You should only take about 1-2 grams daily for maintenance and prevention of chronic conditions.  Your body will thank you later.

You also want to make sure that the fish oil you use is molecularly distilled.  Molecular distillation removes mercury and contaminants from fish oil making it a very safe and cost effective way of getting your daily omega 3 intake.

To learn more about the high dosage fish oil supplement I use daily to maintain good eicosanoid balance, please visit my website today.