How Much Fish Oil to Take?

How much fish oil should we take each day in order to be able to really enjoy the health benefits which it brings?

Fish has high amounts of DHA and EPA, two omega 3 essential fatty acids which have a host of health benefits and useful properties. As these fatty acids cannot be made by the body, consuming them in our diets is important. But, as is always the case, too much of anything can become harmful.

It is not clear what omega 3 fish oil dosage should be taken on a daily basis. For disease prevention and health maintenance, a fish oil dosage of about 3 grams per day should be more or less sufficient - this is the rough dosage suggested on the bottles of many fish supplements (tablets, pills, capsules, etc). For this purpose, we can generally follow the dosage instructions given with supplements.

To help treat diseases or alleviate ailments, however, more may be needed. In such a case, how much fish oil do we need, then? Many studies which have shown fish oil health benefits have used omega 3 doses - DHA and EPA combined - of about 3 grams each day. To obtain this amount, about 10 grams of fish oil would have to be consumed. Broadly speaking, taking enough fish oil to give you about 2 to 3 grams of EPA as well as 1 to 2.5 grams of DHA each day should be quite a decent dose, meeting that used in many studies.

How much fish oil can we actually tolerate? In one study, subjects who were undergoing treatment for cancer-related weight loss were said to have tolerated as much as 21 grams of fish oil daily. Another study even used as much as 60 grams daily. It is certainly not advisable to go to such high dosages on your own; to do so, it is best to consult with a suitable natural health care practitioner.

In considering the question of how much fish oil to take, please take note that cod liver oil has high amounts of vitamin A. While this is an extremely important nutrient, taking it in supplemental form is potentially dangerous as a toxic overdose could have disastrous consequences. Too much vitamin A also hampers the body's ability to use vitamin D.

Generally speaking, it is a good idea, when taking any herbs or supplements, to first begin with low dosages and to gradually build your way up. This allows your body more time to adjust to the changes and also enables you to observe the effects on your body. The same would apply to fish oil, too.