How To Use Fish Oil and Omega 3′s For
Best Results
Contents
Thanks for your purchase! ............................................................................................................................ 3
What is Omega 3? ......................................................................................................................................... 3
The Omega 3 and Omega 6 Teeter Totter .................................................................................................... 4
Why Fish Oil? ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Why not just eat fish? ........................................................................................................................... 5
The Problem of Removing Toxins From Fish Oil ........................................................................................... 5
Only Take Fish Oil Purified By Molecular Distillation .................................................................................... 6
What Are EPA and DHA? ............................................................................................................................... 7
Concentration of EPA and DHA in Fish Oil Supplements ...................................................................... 7
Benefits of EPA and DHA....................................................................................................................... 8
How Much Fish Oil Should You Take? ........................................................................................................... 8
Higher doses of EPA and DHA for specific conditions........................................................................... 8
Easy Reference For How Much Fish Oil For Adults To Take Daily ......................................................... 9
Reading a Fish Oil Label ........................................................................................................................ 9
How Should You Take and Store Fish Oil? .......................................................................................... 10
Contraindications To Taking Fish Oil (When You Shouldn’t Take It)................................................... 10
Side Effects of Fish Oil ......................................................................................................................... 11
Copy Right 2014 by Nutraceutical Research Inc.
All Rights Reserved
How To Use Fish Oil and Omega 3′s For
Best Results
Thanks for your purchase!
You have received this ebook as a bonus with your purchase of a Doctor’s Holistic Rx Fish Oil nutritional
supplement. We are very pleased you have purchased our fish oil. Fish oil is one of 3-4 supplements we
feel that is essential for your health today. As an Ultra Concentrated fish oil, Doctor’s Holistic Rx Fish Oil
is among the best on the market. We know you’ll be happy with your purchase.
Please read this booklet in order to get the best results with your Doctor’s Holistic Rx Fish Oil.
What is Omega 3?
Omega 3 is a fat that, like vitamins is essential for our health. Our body cannot make it on its own but
needs it to function. So we must get it in our diet. We all learned about vitamins in high school biology.
Vitamin deficiencies cause disease. For instance Vitamin C deficiency causes Scurvy.
Likewise, Omega 3 deficiency results in deterioration of our health. One of the primary ways that this
happens involves Omega 3’s role in controlling inflammation in our body.
Our body uses Omega 3 as a building block to manufacture chemicals that suppress inflammation.
When there is insufficient Omega 3 in our diet our body is unable to manufacture enough of these
chemicals. As a result inflammation in the body increases. Too much inflammation is an underlying
cause for many disease conditions.
Here are a few of the diseases and health conditions associated with Omega 3 deficiency. (It is
important to note that Omega 3 deficiency may not be the cause of any of these conditions. However,
supplementation with Omega 3 has in many cases been shown to improve or reduce the risk of these
health problems.)
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Diabetes
High cholesterol
Rheumatoid arthritis
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Osteoporosis
Depression
Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder
ADHD
Cognitive decline / dementia
Skin disorders
Inflammatory bowel disease
Asthma
Macular degeneration
Menstrual pain
Colon cancer
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
The Omega 3 and Omega 6 Teeter Totter
Most Americans are woefully deficient in Omega 3 fat. Not only that, we are woefully overfed Omega 6
fat. Even though both are essential to our health just like vitamins are, this imbalance is causing major
health problems. We are getting so much Omega 6 and so little Omega 3 that it is upsetting our body
chemistry.
For our body to function at its best Omega 3 and Omega 6 needs to be in balance in our diet and in our
cells. Our current situation is like a teeter totter with a fat kid and a skinny kid. The fat kid is too heavy
relative to the skinny kid (and vice versa). As a result the kids can’t play. In our body the excess of
Omega 6 and deficit of Omega 3 is throwing our body chemistry out of balance and creating many
health problems.
Too much Omega 6 and too little Omega 3 results in our body’s biochemistry being out of balance in a
critical way.
Remember above when we said that Omega 3 is used by the body to make chemicals that suppress
inflammation? Well Omega 6 is used in a similar way. But instead our
body uses Omega 6 to make chemicals that cause inflammation. When
there is a constant excess of Omega 6, our body chemistry teeter totter
is always tipped towards excessive inflammation.
As we said above, inflammation is behind many disease conditions. Look
at the list of those conditions. Add to that list chronic pain which is often
a consequence of chronic inflammation. And add many other health conditions to that list as well and
you begin to see the importance of the Omega 6 and Omega 3 balance.
Many researchers and clinicians are now saying that a population wide imbalance of Omega 3 and
Omega 6 in our bodies is a major cause of many of the diseases and health conditions we are currently
suffering from.
The purpose of taking Omega 3 supplements is to restore this critical balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6
in our body. In doing so we restore balance to our body chemistry.
You can learn more about Omega 6 and Omega 3 in our diet and the health benefits of Omega 3 in the
sequel to this booklet: The Necessary Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega 3.
Why Fish Oil?
Fish oil provides a concentrated source of essential Omega 3 fat in a form that our body can use directly.
Omega 3 refers to a fat with a specific basic structure. Different variations of this fat structure are
present in nature. It is found in both plants and animals. The Omega 3 found in animals and found in
high concentrations in cold water fishes, is easier for humans to use. Our body can use the Omega 3 in
fish oil (EPA and DHA) directly. Our body doesn’t have to convert it or alter it in any way to make use of
it.
On the other hand, the Omega 3 found in plants cannot be used directly by the body. This includes the
Omega 3 found in flax seed, canola oil (rapeseed), hemp, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, soybeans and in
green vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, and salad greens. Our body has to alter this
plant source Omega 3 chemically in order to make use of it.
The process by which the body converts plant source Omega 3 to what it can actually use is not very
efficient. Researchers say that our body only converts 6% to 20% of plant source Omega 3 to EPA and
only 0.5% to 9% to DHA. (Gerster, 1998) (NutVo)
What this means is that you have to consume a much larger quantity of plant source Omega 3 in order
to get the benefit of fish oil. However, the ability to convert plant source Omega 3 to what our body
uses increases in vegans and non-fish eating vegetarians. (NutVo)
Why not just eat fish?
One would think that you should just eat fish to get your Omega 3. After all we are supposed to be able
to get what we need in our diet without supplements, right? Unfortunately that’s not true anymore for
two reasons.
One is that ocean fish is so contaminated with toxins that eating too much of it is harmful. And second,
most of us are so deficient in Omega 3 that even if fish wasn’t toxic, we wouldn’t eat enough fish to
supply what we need.
How much fish would you have to eat to get the Omega 3 available in an Ultra Concentrated Fish Oil?
The table below gives some examples. (Laboratory, October 3, 2002)
Fish
# of ounces
Light canned tuna (in water)
Pacific cod
Rainbow trout (wild)
Atlantic salmon (farmed)
Flounder / Sole
Oyster (farmed)
Lobster
8 ounces
16 ounces
2.5 ounces
1 – 2 ounces
5 ounces
5.5 ounces
5 – 30 ounces
Equivalent # of Ultra
Concentrated Fish Oil Softgels
1 softgel
1 softgel
1 softgel
1 softgel
1 softgel
1 softgel
1 softgel
The Problem of Removing Toxins From Fish Oil
Our oceans are polluted and so are the fish living in them. Fish that live in cold water have the highest
oil content in their body and also the highest amount of Omega 3. Tuna, herring, salmon, mackerel and
sardines are some of the cold water fish that are harvested for their fish oil.
Toxins commonly found in fish include heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium. These
heavy metal toxins can cause neurological problems, cognitive impairment or disruption of mental
functions, some cancers and irreversible liver and kidney damage.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s), dioxins and furans are other toxins which accumulate in fish and
which are harmful to humans. These toxins are associated with skin problems, chronic bronchitis,
muscle spasms, nervous system disorders, skin liver and immune system problems, hormone disruption,
reproductive problems and cancer.
Only Take Fish Oil Purified By Molecular Distillation
The only method of purification that effectively removes toxins from fish oil is molecular distillation. It is
the gold standard for the fish oil industry. Do not take fish oil that has not been purified by molecular
distillation.
Molecular distillation removes toxins such as heavy metals, dioxins, furans and PCB’s to undetectable
levels.
The process of molecular
distillation is an expensive one.
Therefore, fish oils that have
been purified by molecular
distillation cost more. This is an
expense worth paying for. I
advise patients and friends to
take only molecularly distilled fish
oil or take nothing at all.
Reputable fish oil manufacturers
send their purified fish oil to
independent labs to be tested for
toxins. This is a necessary
safeguard to guarantee that the
fish oil you are taking has been
purified to the highest degree
possible.
Evidence of this third party
testing of fish oil for purity and
safety is found it a “Certificate of
Analysis” that should be available
from any and all fish oil
manufacturers. On the right is an
example of such a certificate.
What Are EPA and DHA?
EPA and DHA are two Omega 3 fats that are found in fish oil and which are used widely within our body.
Omega 3 refers to any fat which has the same general structure (the first double bond between the 3rd
and 4th carbon atoms). EPA and DHA are two specific forms of Omega 3.
Here is how the Omega 3 fats EPA and DHA are represented diagrammatically:
Fish oil naturally contains both EPA and DHA. Natural fish oil contains more EPA than DHA, generally in
a ratio of 1.5 to 1. This is the ratio of EPA to DHA in most fish oil supplements, even concentrated ones.
Concentration of EPA and DHA in Fish Oil Supplements
Many fish oil supplements say that they are “concentrated”. What does this mean? Concentration
simply means increasing the percentage of EPA + DHA in the oil. In regular or non-concentrated fish oil
about 30% of the fat in the softgel is EPA and DHA.
The first level of concentration yields about 50% EPA and DHA. An even higher level of concentration
produces softgels with 70% EPA and DHA. The main benefit of taking a concentrated Omega 3 fish oil is
that you get more of what you want (EPA and DHA) in fewer capsules.
Concentration of EPA and DHA in fish oil means you don’t have to take as many pills to get the benefit.
In practical terms this is important. When taking fish oil supplements most people don’t take enough to
get the benefit of the EPA and DHA. With a 70% concentration of EPA and DHA, two 1000 mg softgels
provide 1400 mg of EPA and DHA. This is a good maintenance dose.
Even higher concentrations of EPA and DHA are available on the market. Because the process of
concentration is an expensive one, more highly concentrated fish oils (greater than 70% EPA and DHA)
tend to be very expensive. We feel that “Ultra Concentrated” fish oil assures that you will get enough
EPA and DHA at an affordable price.
Benefits of EPA and DHA
EPA and DHA work differently in the body. One of the primary effects of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is
to decrease inflammation. DHA is known for its role in brain function and in protection of the heart. To
learn more about the functions of EPA and DHA and the conditions they benefit please see the sequel to
this booklet The Necessary Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega 3.
How Much Fish Oil Should You Take?
When talking about how much fish oil you should take we’re really referring to how much Omega 3.
More specifically we’re referring to the total amount of EPA and DHA that you should take each day.
When you look at the label find the amount of EPA and DHA per softgel or serving. Add them together
and that is the number (in milligrams or mg) that we are referring to when we say how much to take.
A maintenance dose of Omega 3 (EPA + DHA) for a healthy person is about 1400 mg of EPA plus DHA per
day. That means that when you add up the total amount of EPA and DHA you should get about 1400 mg
per day. For a 3X ultra concentrated fish oil, that is two 1000 mg softgels per day.
Higher doses of EPA and DHA for specific conditions
Higher doses are advised to remedy conditions associated with Omega 3 deficiency.
Many professional groups recommend a variety of different dosages of EPA and DHA intake daily. Here
are some of those recommendations. Dosage of Omega 3 means the total of EPA and DHA.
If you have heart
disease
To lower triglycerides
For mood, impulse
control, or psychotic
disorders
For eye health
American Heart Association
1000 mg Omega 3 daily Equals 1.4 softgels of 3X Ultra Concentrated fish oil
2000-3000 mg Omega 3 Equals 3-5 softgels of 3X Ultra Concentrated fish
daily
oil daily
American Psychiatric Association
1000 mg Omega 3 daily Equals 1.4 softgels of 3X Ultra Concentrated fish oil
National Eye Institute
1000 mg Omega 3 daily Equals 1.4 softgels of 3X Ultra Concentrated fish oil
Easy Reference For How Much Fish Oil For Adults To Take Daily
Health Condition
Heart Disease
High Triglycerides
Arthritis
Depression
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Skin Disorders
Asthma
Diabetes
Blood Pressure
Recommended Omega 3 Dose
(mg per day EPA + DHA)
1000 mg
2000 – 4000 mg
3000 mg
2000 mg
2000 mg
1000 mg
2000 mg
2000 mg
2000 mg
# of softgels of 3X Ultra
Concentrated Fish Oil Daily
1–2
3–6
4
3
3
1–2
3
3
3
Higher doses of fish oil than those shown above are used under medical supervision for relief of severe
and disabling pain.
Reading a Fish Oil Label
Deciphering a label’s information may be confusing. Here are
some things to consider when looking at a label such as the one
on the right.
Serving Size: The serving size may be more than one softgel
capsule. For the product on the right the serving size is two
softgels. This means that the information on the label below
refers to the amounts in two softgels.
Servings Per Container: the bottle to the right contains 90
servings. Since a serving is 2 softgels each, the bottle contains
180 softgels.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: This refers to the total of all types of Omega 3 per serving. That includes EPA,
DHA and other Omega 3’s. In this case each softgel contains 750 mg of Omega 3 and each serving
contains 1500 mg of Omega 3.
EPA: there are 800 mg of EPA per serving (two softgels) or 400 mg EPA per softgel.
DHA: there are 600 mg of DHA per serving (two softgels) or 300 mg DHA per softgel.
EPA + DHA: this total is not shown on labels. In this case the total EPA + DHA per serving is 1400 mg or
700 mg per softgel. This fish oil is Ultra Concentrated fish for EPA and DHA.
How Should You Take and Store Fish Oil?
Fish oil should be taken with meals. You can take your daily serving all at once or divide it between
several meals. It is best to store your fish oil in the refrigerator to make sure that it doesn’t turn rancid.
To reduce the chance of having a fishy after taste take the softgels while still cold fresh out of the
refrigerator and with a meal.
Contraindications To Taking Fish Oil (When You Shouldn’t Take It)
There are some times when you shouldn’t take fish oil.
Do Not Take Fish Oil That Has Not Been Purified By Molecular Distillation. To repeat what has been
stated previously, never take fish oil that has not been purified by molecular distillation.
Fish oil during pregnancy. As a rule of thumb all manufacturers of nutritional supplements advise
women who are pregnant or nursing to avoid taking nutritional supplements. This is due to liability
issues. Manufacturers do not want to be liable for something going wrong during these critical periods
of development. This is why warning labels about taking fish oil during pregnancy and nursing appear
on most fish oil supplements.
Many studies suggest that Omega 3 supplementation is helpful during pregnancy and is also helpful to
newborn infants. The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids recommends that
infants, children and pregnant mothers take Omega 3 fish oil. Here are their recommended minimum
amounts to take for each group. (ISSFAL)
Infants (1 – 18 months)
(0 – 15 lbs)
Children (18 months – 15 years)
Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
Minimum Recommended Daily
Dose of Omega 3
32 mg Omega 3 (EPA + DHA)
15 mg Omega 3 (EPA + DHA)
300 mg Omega 3 (EPA + DHA)
Our recommendation is that you consult with a health professional for advice on how much fish oil (EPA
and DHA) to take if you are pregnant or nursing, or to give infants and children.
Do not take fish oil if you are on blood thinners. While fish oil is beneficial for heart conditions, one of
the ways is helps is to thin your blood. Adding the blood thinning properties of fish oil with those of a
prescription drug can result in your blood being to thin and not clotting appropriately.
Avoid fish oil if you are allergic to fish. Fish oil is commonly made from cold water fishes such as
salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines. If you are allergic to any of these fishes you should
not take fish oil. Typical symptoms of an allergic reaction are getting a rash or hives, difficulty breathing,
having a rapid pulse, swelling of the mouth, face or throat.
Avoid fish oil if your immune system is severely depressed. If you are taking immune-suppressing
drugs (organ transplant patients) or have HIV, AID’s taking large doses of fish oil is not advisable as it
may increase your vulnerability to infections.
Avoid fish oil before surgery. Because fish oil thins the blood and slows blood clotting, it is not
advisable to take fish oil for a couple weeks before having any surgical procedures.
Side Effects of Fish Oil
Here are the most common side effects of taking fish oil.
Minor belching (and a fishy after taste)
Nausea
Loose stool
Bloating
Minor belching and getting a fishy after taste is remedied by storing your fish oil in the refrigerator and
taking it cold with a meal. If you experience nausea, loose stool or bloating you should take an alternate
form of Omega 3 such as krill oil or flaxseed oil.
Now you can learn about the amazing benefits of fish oil in ebook #2
of this series: “The Amazing Benefits of Fish Oil and Omega 3”.
You can download a copy of The Amazing Benefits of Fish Oil and
Omega 3 here.
If you suffer from chronic pain, then you’ll want to read ebook #3
in the fish oil series: “How To Get Natural Pain Relief With Fish Oil
and Omega 3”.
You can download a copy of How To Get Natural Pain Relief With
Fish Oil and Omega 3 here.
