Fish Oil?

My mom had an extra unopened bottle of fish oil capsules and I know the Omega-3 is supposed to be good for you, but is it worth it? I'm eating very healthy, working out almost everyday,41 yrs old, 5'8", 130#, take a multivitamin everyday. I guess I think it's weird to be ingesting an oil capsule! Any thoughts..just wondering if I really need it.

Wed. Dec 26, 9:39pm

Odds are your multi doesn't have omegas in it. Unless you're using a nut oil in your cooking, or eating a lot of fish, you're probably not getting enough omegas. It shouldn't seem weird to take an oil capsule- especially when it's referred to as an *essential* fatty acid.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007, 10:20 PM

Even healthy folks should be taking fish oil. Fish oil is very cardio-protective, as well as incredible for your brain.

Most commercial baby foods have DHA, EPA or both added for the baby's brain development. DHA and EPA are the main Omega-3s you're going to find in fish oil.

One tip, put the fish oil in the fridge or freezer, because at room temp the oil (and capsules) tend to oxidize faster and start to really smell fishy. I'm only 28 and I take a fish oil supplement daily.

Friday, December 28, 2007, 3:50 PM

Just curious - how many calories are in a fish oil capsule?

Friday, December 28, 2007, 3:55 PM

OP here: Adding to this....can you have too much Omega 3? I do eat salmon or tuna at least 3 times a week and also add milled flax seed to my oatmeal about 4 mornings a week.

Friday, December 28, 2007, 9:25 PM

you could still use to add a little extra. It is really good for your health and actually can help to boost your metabolism.

Saturday, December 29, 2007, 12:51 AM

3:55 - My fish oil capsules say 25 calories.

Saturday, December 29, 2007, 6:29 AM

Sorry - 25 calories is for a serving size of 2 capsules - 2400mg of fish oil per serving

Saturday, December 29, 2007, 6:38 AM

A big thing to keep an eye on when buying fish oil is to look at the actual mg of EPA and DHA. A lot of OTC fish oils don't have very much, and those are the Omega-3s that you really want.

The OTC I use is NatureMade Double Strength Fish Oil 1200mg. One 2 capsule serving gives you a little more than 1g of combined EPA&DHA, which is roughly what a MD would prescribe for heart health (Rx fish oil is Lovasa, but its hard to get insurances to cover it sometimes).

Another great thing taking fish oil is that there are a couple of studies looking at omega-3s and weight loss, and they are starting to be quite promising, check out the link.

(Sorry to sound like a dork and a know-it-all but I work at a cholesterol clinic, and have had some articles published on a recent study of DHA in my clinic. After reading hundreds of articles in the medical journals on the great properties of the substance, I couldn't help but add it to my daily routine!)

Link

Saturday, December 29, 2007, 11:38 AM

Another thing about eating 3+ servings of fish a week, you have to worry about pollutants like mercury. Most reputable fish oil supplements are made from smaller fish so the levels of the bad stuff are much less. There is also a company that makes pure DHA from algae, which eliminates the pollutant factor altogether.

Saturday, December 29, 2007, 11:43 AM

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