Articles
The ‘Deep’ on Omega-3 Supplements
It is well known that omega-3 or ‘fish oil’ supplements are linked to a wide range of health benefits. Studies have shown that they reduce the risk and the severity of side effects in conditions such as arthritis, depression, dementia, diabetes, behavioural problems in children, inflammatory bowel diseases, skin and eye conditions and even some cancers. Lately researchers have been questioning the validity of a number of these studies and health benefit claims and are asking whether fish oil supplements offer the same benefits as omega-3 from food sources.
What researchers do know for sure is that omega-3 plays a beneficial role in pain relief for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, reduces inflammation and triglycerides thus reducing the risk of heart disease and is showing positive results in studies related to mental health disorders and eye and brain development in-utero. But despite the sales of omega-3 supplements in Australia rising at a rate of 10% per year, sadly a large number of Australians are still not getting enough omega-3 daily.
Choosing an Omega-3 Supplement
Before choosing an omega-3 supplement, it is important to know a little about omega-3, and the recommended dosage for your needs. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid, meaning the body does not produce it on its own and it must be obtained from dietary sources such as plants and seafood, and in smaller amounts in egg and meat products.
There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids. DHA and EPA comes from marine sources. These are the most important, as they are the omega-3 fatty acids linked to health benefits. ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid from plant sources such as linseeds and walnuts. When looking for a supplement, it is important to take note of the DHA+EPA content of the supplement, not the total omega-3 content. A supplement may claim to contain 1000mg of omega-3 per capsule, but may only contain 300mg DHA+EPA.
The Heart Foundation recommends 500mg per day of DHA+EPA for healthy adults and children. The recommendation doubles to 1000mg per day for those with heart disease (plus a further 2000mg ALA from plant sources daily). For arthritic pain relief, the recommendation is 3000mg DHA+EPA. It is safe to take up to 3000mg of omega-3 supplements daily, but by working out your needs and taking into account your weekly oily fish intake you may find you don’t need to take as many fish oil capsules as first thought. One serve of oily fish per week, such as salmon with the skin on, will provide you with approximately half of your omega-3 needs for the week. To reach a daily total of 500mg DHA+EPA, you would only need to take one fish oil capsule per day, providing that capsule contained 300mg DHA+EPA.
Weigh up the Costs
The price of fish oil supplements varies greatly, anywhere from 5 cents to 85 cents per capsule. It is recommended to shop around and find a cheap source of omega-3 from a reputable outlet. Avoid omega-3 supplements that have additional vitamins and nutrients as this only increases the price of the supplement. Also be sure you work out your individual needs, as many packages advise taking more than is recommended by the Heart Foundation and NHMRC. Finally remember that researchers are questioning some of the studies of using supplements when eating omega 3 from food sources, such as salmon, may be much better.
Added to site on : Monday, 29 April 2013