I have often gotten the question about dosage of fish oil.
How did I come up with 6 caps a day?
The answer is actually fairly simple but comes in 3 parts.
1) I tested 150 people who had low Omega 3’s and found the average value needed to restore their Land’s ratio (Omega 6/3) to optimal as defined by Dr. Lands and his many articles on the topic.
2) Someone actually did a mathematical calculation and came up with- 5.8 grams- so close to my observation!
3) All of the studies that show benefit (hint they are not generally published in journals paid for by Big Pharma) require a minimum of 3grams or more before any benefit is seen and usually its upwards of 4 grams.
Now please note when I am talking grams, I am talking grams of Total EPA and DHA- that is you add the mg of each together and divide by 1000 to get the grams supplied by the product. DO NOT simply buy into the misleading labeling where the product is listed as “Grams of Fish Oil”. This can include all kinds of non-Omega 3 things that may be found in various fish and manufacturers often seek to boost the number on the bottle by not listing the Omega 3 (EPA+DHA) except in the fine print on the back of the bottle!
Conditions where additional Omega 3 may be very helpful include any form of disease that is inflammatory in nature, obesity, sleep deprivation, depression, high level athletic training, poor diet.
I have detailed the specifics of this ad nauseum since 2003 so I am not going to go into individual conditions. Chances are if you are sick in any way you need more.
Exceptions include blood disorders where you do not clot well, drugs that thin your blood, and if you are going to have major surgery within the next 2-3 weeks. I have detailed this ad nauseum as well since 2003.
But you would be surprised how often more is better!
Right now, I am finishing an aggressive running training program and you can bet I am taking more than 6 caps a day.
Also remember the amount of Omega 3 is not really dependent on sex, body mass or weight- its completely dependent on how much Omega 3 and 6 you get in your diet.
This was brought home to me when testing a Vegetarian and Vegan population that did not consume marine based Omega 3’s. Plant based Omega’s are a lousy substitute and even the thinner smaller Vega/Vegetarian individuals had low Omega 3.
I hope this helps you in your quest to live longer, live better and do more!
Dr Dave
PS Don’t forget the huge savings on cases!