Fish Oil Dose

The proper fish oil dose is a concern for many consumers who have elected to start taking fish oil pills. There are several different forms of fish oil supplements on the market today: triacylglycerol fish oil products and ethyl ester fish oil products. Either way, these fish oil products are manufactured as fish oil pills, fish oil softgels, fish oil tablets, fish oil capsules, liquid fish oil, and a multitude of different types of fish oil concentrate. However, no matter how the fish oil is packaged for consumption, the recommended fish oil dose will vary depending on why you are taking them. Additionally, the fish oil potency (i.e., the amount of two essential omega 3 fatty acids - EPA and DHA - contained in each product) vary from product to product and from brand to brand. As a result, fish oil dosage is measured by the content of the omega-3 fatty acids contained therein and not by the number of physical supplements consumed.

As a threshold matter, the Food and Drug Administration (also known as the “FDA”) has not issued a recommendation as to the proper fish oil dosage. However, that federal regulatory agency has recommended that a healthy person, over the age of five, should not consume more than 3000 mg of fish oil per day.

Fortunately, however, some general fish oil dose guidelines have been issued by various organizations and other governmental and quasi-governmental agencies. For example, according to the World Health Organization (the “WHO”), a healthy adult should consume approximately three hundred to five hundred milligrams of fish oil per day. That estimate may be on the cautious side as most research studies touting the health benefits of fish oil utilize a fish oil 1000 mg dosage. In any event, fish oil pills are thought to have some slight fish oil side effects, such as gastrointestinal discomfort associated with new users of fish oil, risk of contamination consumption (i.e., the fish from which the fish oil was made contained impurities), and a very bad tasting “fishy” after taste. As a result, it is generally recommended that your fish oil dose start on the lower side and work up towards the higher fish oil dosages.

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