The Importance of Fish Oil

Your diet is likely lacking in omega 3 fatty acids that are essential for good health. Omega 3s, especially those found in fish oil, have been shown to protect against the risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest, reduce blood pressure in those with hypertension, improve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, prevent and improve depression and bipolar illness, and have a number of other benefits. A hundred years ago, our regular diet gave us 1,500 milligrams (mg) a day of omega 3 fatty acids. Today, our estimated daily share is 100 to 150 mg, or around 10 percent as much as a century ago. The meat, poultry, and fish we eat are not like that which we ate up to 1980 or so. The feeding and preparation methods have significantly reduced their omega 3 content.

Although the United States has not established official dietary recommendations for omega-3 fat intake, Canada, the United Kingdom, and many US nutritionists recommend a total omega 3 intake of at least 1200 to 1600 mg per day. Meanwhile, the average contribution of omega 3s from fish oil supplements to the US diet is only 600 to 900 mg per year or less than 1/300th of a single capsule per person per year!

We recommend taking daily fish oil supplements—approximately six capsules daily of a standard fish oil product containing 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA per capsule or approximately a total of 300 mg of omega 3s per capsule—1800 mg per day. It’s good insurance.

Sincerely yours,
Eric S. Freedland, MD Medical Director