Omega 3 Fish Oil

[Returning]

I take a diet suppliment of 1000mg of Omega 3 Fish Oil per day. I have a distant memory of reading somewhere that it is useful to take a break from this kind of supplimet now and again. Is this just a foggy dream I had or does anyone know of problems encounterd with prolonged use of such a suppliment?

[Outcast]

The only thing I recall reading is that fish oil can increase your tendency to bleed so if you have clotting problems you might want to consider cutting back. Otherwise, I've read nothing but high praise for Omega 3s. Which in itself might be worrisome since we've seen other highly-praised therapies turn out to be less than wonderful. Still, I take them (1200 g which includes 400 ea of 3, 6, and 9) and hope it won't come back to bite me later.

[superconductor]

The jury is still out on whether Omega 3 fish oil, in supplement form, is of any value whatsoever, other than to boost the share price of the manufacturers and retailers.

 

Not only that, but because it's sold as a food supplement and not a medical aid, it doesn't have to be tested by the FDA, Health Canada or any other governing body.

 

So be careful, because the health supplement industry is, in my view, bloated with false claims and overpriced/useless junk.

[Outcast]

Actually, SC, if you check it out atHarvard or NIH you'll find that its use is recommended.

 

http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/FactSheets/Omega3FattyAcidsandHealth.asp

 

 

Health Canada's monograph on the supplements lists a bunch of supporting reports.

 

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/applications/licen-prod/monograph/mono_fish_oil_huile_poisson_e.html

[superconductor]

I don't necessarily argue that this particular stuff is useless or bad. What bothers me is that it's manufacture is not regulated, and manufacturers/distributors aren't held to the same standard that medicinal products are.

 

In short, your bottle of (insert food supplement name here) may not even contain any of the ingredient. (I don't want to incur the wrath of the mods here by posting a link, but if you do a google search on "Rational Inquiry Volume 6 Number 2" you'll find some info there.)

 

But the broader point is, as always, caveat emptor.

[Outcast]

What bothers me is that it's manufacture is not regulated, and manufacturers/distributors aren't held to the same standard that medicinal products are.

 

True enough. I look forward to the day when regulation of supplements is implemented. In the meantime, I'm trying to work more walnuts and flax products and other food sources into my diet.

[Sassy]

I don't take it in a supplement form but eat in foods . Should i be worried ?