Fish Oil Dosage - How Much Fish Oil Should You Take on a Daily Basis?

In this day and age, there is a general consensus among medical circles that taking fish oil supplements rich in omega 3 fatty acids can dramatically improve your health. However, what is not clear and causes frustration among people, is the fish oil dosage.

Different products have different recommendations about how many capsules you should consume on a daily basis. Why is this happening and how much is good enough? Are there to any health complications if we exceed the recommended dosage?

As you realize, there are no definite, clear cut answers that apply to everyone. Each one of us has different requirements, depending on our medical profile. That's why I should point out now that you should always consult with your personal physician before you start taking any supplements.

In general, the ideal fish oil dosage is based on two variables: The first has to do with the content breakdown of the fish oil capsule in terms of omega 3 fatty acids, while the second has to do with your particular medical condition.

Content in omega 3 acids

As you probably know, fish oil capsules contain varying amounts of omega 3 essential fatty acids. The most important of these are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Because DHA can readily convert to EPA if the body needs it but the converse is not true, then what determines the dosage needed is the DHA concentration. The higher the concentration, the less the fish oil dosage you require.

That's the reason why different manufacturers recommend different daily dosages, even if the weight of the capsule (usually 1000 mg) is the same.

Typically, provided that the percent concentration of DHA is 20% to 25% minimum, the majority of people without any particular medical disorders, don't require more than 2 capsules per day (that's 2 grams).

Medical condition

Now, the situation gets trickier when you happen to suffer from a particular medical condition.

For example, The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that people who have high triglycerides take a fish oil supplement with 2 grams to 4 grams (2000 mg to 4000 mg) of EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids.

For people who are diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD), also known as coronary artery disease (CAD), the AHA recommends a daily fish oil dosage of 1 gram.

I should stress here again that every case is different and that you should always take fish oil under the supervision of your health care provider.

Fish oil overdose

It is not known exactly what to expect from a fish oil overdose, but it is likely that the effects will vary depending on the fish oil dosage and whether it was taken with any medications, alcohol, or street drugs.

Fish oil overdose is likely to cause any of the usual fish oil side effects (such as fishy aftertaste and burping), but perhaps more severely. In particular, stomach upset can be expected. An overdose could also increase the risk of bleeding, especially if blood thinning or high blood pressure prescription drugs are also taken in addition to supplements.

To sum up, as a general advice stick to omega 3 fish oil for which its manufacturer does not recommend more than 4 grams per day. Note that the higher the quantity of capsules you have to swallow each day, the greater the likelihood of you having some bothersome side effects such as fish aftertaste, upset stomach or burping. Don't overdose (unless your doctor tells you).

Another small tip is this: There is no need to take all of this fish oil all at once; you may find that splitting it up into two daily doses may decrease some of the unpleasant side effects.

Fish Oil Omega 3 Essential Acids - Why You Should Include Them in Your Diet

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