How much fish oil per lb of body weight do I take it says 3 capsle a day but I know that is for the average body type.
Well,
The amount you should take depends on whether or not you are eating salmon.
The dietary recommendation for the omega 3 fats found in fish oil is a minimum 1.2g (1,200 mg) per day for most people to reap all the health benefits such as decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and improved cognitive function. Too much of a good thing is not healthy though. If you eat more than 5g (5000mg) of omega 3’s a day from food and supplements it may increase your risk for hemorrhagic stroke.
Now, in a 170g serving of cooked salmon there is 3.7g (3700 mg) of omega 3’s. In the 1000mg salmon oil capsules there is about 0.12g (120 g) of n-3’s.
So, in order to get at least 1.2g a day of n-3’s from pills you could take 10 pills. But remember that some of the foods you eat contain some n-3’s and so you would be okay to take 6-9 if you could not afford them.
Try to eat salmon at least 3 times a week, and that will also enable you to get the n-3’s you need without spending a ton on supplements.
In regards to how much you should eat based on body weight… I’m not sure there is any conclusive research on this, so I cant say. Maybe someone else knows, but you would be fine to take the amount I suggested regardless of wt.
I would be most concerned with how much combined EPA/DHA you’re getting. Shoot for at least 3g, preferably 6g per day. In light of the fact that most fish oil softgels have 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA per 1000mg fish oil, you’ll need to take in 10 of those to get your 3g combined.
When I refer to the amount of n-3’s in salmon and supp’s I am referring to a combined amount of EPA and DHA. (It supports what EC stated)
Damn, Cass, droppin’ some knowledge bombs! Hell yeah!
This supports my own proposition that individuals should not overemphasize their intake of fish oils only to rob themselves of the benefits of extra virgin olive oil and other great monounsaturates like nuts.
Amen, T-Rock.
You want to get your minimums of fish and flax oil, but the majority of your added fats should definitely be monounsaturates.
i agree with timbo too… My staple is fish caps, but I make sure to take in some X vergin olive oil, walnuts and a little flax through the week. Variety man, variety.
as always…Cass, Timbo and EC provided some classic knowledge. I cant help but agree with all of them.
Personally I take 10 caps of fish oil per day (3g of EPA/DHA)
1 table spoon of extra virgin oil olive oil with my daily tuna and salad
1 table spoon of flax seed oil with a P+F meal
1 oz/ or 1/4 cup of mixed nuts with another P+F meal.
Like Podge said…“variety man, variety”
I was talking to a friend about this very subject and the question came up: if you didn’t have fish oil/flax oil, didn’t like walnuts etc…would you take a shot or two of Xtra Vir Olive Oil? For the health benefits(if you didn’t want to take the others)?
Olive oil is great for your monos, but you won’t get the valuable EPA/DHA from it.
I know this is an old post but…" If you eat more than 5g (5000mg) of omega 3’s a day from food and supplements it may increase your risk for hemorrhagic stroke."
Do you have a link that proves this bro?
Thanks
D
guys, even Cass has said it…monos and saturateds should be even.
But I wonder how valuable the oil is from cooked salmon. Surely the more you cook it, the more it goes rancid, right? Unless you’re eating sushi…yum 