Omega 3 - type, source and dosage

BerryH
BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all. I don't really do supplements, believing that for the most part they just give you expensive wee. However, convincing research into conditions I have and some I want to prevent suggest that Omega 3 is A Good Thing.

Can anyone recommend the best sources (fish oil or vegetable), whether there are more benefits from dietary sources rather than supplements, and what daily dosage I should be aiming for, please.

I also understand Omega 3 is locked in some epic battle with Omega 6 - is this something I should look to reduce alongside hydrogenated and saturated fat and the like?

Please bear in mind that I have little money to spare, so I will be going for generic rather than brand name supplements, and salmon every day is probably beyond me!

Replies

  • diadojikohei
    diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
    Omega 3 seeds, a mixed bag of sunflower, sesame, linseed, pumpkin etc is about £1.70 in Holland and Barrett, and either grind and add to porridge or sprinkle on your food.
    x
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    I take a 1200 mg Fish Oil Pill with Omega 3 and my doctor was very excited to hear that I had started on it. She recommended that I take two pills per day.
  • diadojikohei
    diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
    The above reply is not showing, this is a test!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    The above reply is not showing, this is a test!
    I can see it, and thanks!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I take a 1200 mg Fish Oil Pill with Omega 3 and my doctor was very excited to hear that I had started on it. She recommended that I take two pills per day.
    Good stuff, thanks.
  • Ph4lanx
    Ph4lanx Posts: 213 Member
    I take Omega 3 tablets, but the best source of Omega 3 you can get is Krill Oil. Either through tablets, or by eating the Krill themselves. Personally, I don't like fish, so I take the tablets. :)
  • dawson55510
    dawson55510 Posts: 197 Member
    i take 4 grams of omega 3 daily
  • TheDreadPirateRoberts
    TheDreadPirateRoberts Posts: 225 Member
    I take the tablets (Fish oil or omega 3). They help with my arthritus and they also (bizarley enough) help keep me warm in the winter. In the winter I take one a day and feel less cold as a consequence. A shop keeper told me about that gem years ago and it does work.

    Aside from winter, I take one a week more or less. Supposed to help with brain function and as I dont like a lot of fish, I need the stuff that is in them through other means.

    Cost wise, Aldi do a range of cheap supplements. I tend to use theirs where I can as its so much cheaper and appears to have the same stuff as the more expensive brands.... I mean zinc is zinc and omega 3 is omega 3! Have no idea about omega 6. TBH, I cant keep up with all the medical stuff, I can never remember which type of margarine I'm supposed to get or if I should have poly, mono, saturated, unsaturated or what oils! They should just have labels on the dodgy ones that say "dont eat this it will kill you!"
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    when comparing brands you need to actually look at the concentration of omega-3 per capsule, Some of them are cheap but you end up having to have 3 times the amount to get the right dosage.

    The ones I use are from myprotein, a little more expensive but they contain more omega-3 than any other brand I have come across.

    http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/super_omega_3

    Recommended dose is 3g per day. which is 4 capsules with this product, you would need 8-10 capsules to get the same amount from some cheaper brands.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    3g of Omega 3 daily.

    And there is nothing to be avoided in saturated fat. ;)
  • TheDreadPirateRoberts
    TheDreadPirateRoberts Posts: 225 Member
    Agree with Hendrix. The Aldi ones provide 100% of your RDA for sure, which tends to be what the "other places" have in theirs. Online and specialist places will be different and the quality of the stuff may differ.

    Personally, I'd try the cheaper end and if that doesnt work, get something more expensive. I find the Aldi (in this case, and no I dont work for them) stuff has the same apparent affect on me as stuff I've bought from elsewhere. Mosly I use glucosamine, (arthritus), zinc, (colds), calcium, (lactose intolerant), omega 3 (arthritus, keeping warm, memory) and multivitamin / mineral (now and again in case I'm missing something in my diet).
  • TheDreadPirateRoberts
    TheDreadPirateRoberts Posts: 225 Member

    And there is nothing to be avoided in saturated fat. ;)

    Soo...is that the good one then? Mind you, even if it is, the moment I'm in a supermarket and faced with a mass of choices, I'll totally forget anyways.
  • yancymichele
    yancymichele Posts: 66 Member
    chia seeds 1 tbsp has 2.4grams omega-3 and .8 gram omega-6
    I spinkle it in smoothies, yogurt. meal replacement shakes.
  • LittleFootHafner
    LittleFootHafner Posts: 302
    Omega 3 eggs are a good choice, and there are cheaper brands that offer this as well.
    There is fish oil that is much cheaper than the capsules - I pay about $40.00 for 3 months worth.
    You get used to the taste - it kinda has an orange taste to it.
    You can also mix it in a smoothie, etc...

    Good Luck!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I'm not big on supplements either but found this article interesting:

    http://running.competitor.com/2012/08/nutrition/7-nutritional-supplements-that-arent-a-total-waste-of-money_29434/2

    in terms of recommended dosage it seems to be all over the map, the European Food Safety Agency is suggesting 250mg, in Australia the National Heart Foundation recommends 500mg
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I get all my Omega fatty acids with one serving of hemp seeds.
  • KipDrordy
    KipDrordy Posts: 169 Member
    Hi all. I don't really do supplements, believing that for the most part they just give you expensive wee. However, convincing research into conditions I have and some I want to prevent suggest that Omega 3 is A Good Thing.

    Can anyone recommend the best sources (fish oil or vegetable), whether there are more benefits from dietary sources rather than supplements, and what daily dosage I should be aiming for, please.

    I also understand Omega 3 is locked in some epic battle with Omega 6 - is this something I should look to reduce alongside hydrogenated and saturated fat and the like?

    Please bear in mind that I have little money to spare, so I will be going for generic rather than brand name supplements, and salmon every day is probably beyond me!

    I had high triglycerides and luckily my health insurance covers prescription fish oil (Lovaza). I have become far more Omega 3 aware. Do you eat eggs? There are some brands that have a higher Omega 3 content than standard, and they aren't priced crazy. Fatty fish are obvious choices, but you said you can't see yourself eating salmon. If not every day, why not eat it a few times a week? If you're a member at Costco or Sam's Club, you can get a huge bottle of supplements for relatively cheap. Look for the pills with the highest concentration. They may cost a bit more, but not when compared to the dose you get. As for Omega 6, I've found that I already get plenty in my diet. Too much can be a bad thing, so check with a doctor before supplementing Omega 6.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Wow, thanks for all the great advice everyone :flowerforyou:

    I've got myself some Boots own-brand 1000mg one-a-day high-strength omega-3 fish oil. After reading Born To Run I've always wanted to try chia seeds so I'll get down Holland and Barrett at the earliest opportunity, and I'll swap my usual eggs for the omega-3 kind as well as trying to get more oily fish in my life.
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