Posted by Larry Hoover on January 4, 2004, at 11:49:41
In reply to omega 3 overdose dangerous, posted by Wolf Dreamer on January 4, 2004, at 11:13:24
> http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acids
>
> "the possibility of hemorrhagic stroke" is what bothers me in the list of side effects.I wish that falsehood would just dry up and blow away. It is wrong. Not based on evidence. Bogus.
> Instead of just taking a few dozen a day, perhaps I'll stick to the 3 a day recommended on the bottle from now on.No reason to do that. There are populations that consume over 20 grams of EPA/DHA daily, without adverse effect.
> Larry Hover, where are you?Why, I'm right here.
> Didn't you tell us before we should jam down as many of these pills as possible, and nothing could go wrong?
Correct, almost. To the point of intolerance. Some people get digestive complaints..... And I didn't ever mean to imply bottles-full at a time.
> My memory isn't too sharp, so actual post content may vary.
The factoid (a term I like, invented by a friend of mine, to describe unsubstantiated facts, like "old wive's tales") that fish oil can lead to hemorrhagic stroke actually arises from a single paper, written in the 1970's, describing mortality statistics for a population of Greenland Eskimos (Inuit), and comparing those figures to the Danish. It was found that hemorrhagic stroke was more likely in the Eskimos, and they eat more fish, and fish affects clotting parameters, so......let's blame it on the fish.
However, it has been clearly shown that no other population eating high quantities of fish has that problem. It has also been clearly shown that the problem aggregates in specific families. It has also been clearly shown that the problem is actually one of a genetic defect in artery wall construction, actually localized to a single region of the brain, leading to catastrophic rupture. It's a problem of genetic inbreeding (the founder effect), not from eating fish.
Yes, fish oil reduces clotting tendencies. But only if your clotting tendency is too high to begin with. The problem is that most people's blood is far too likely to clot in the first place (that's why heart attack and occlusive stroke are so common). Fish oil helps restore normal clotting parameters, but it will not do more than balance things out. It will not cause you to bleed to death. It will just keep your blood from coagulating abnormally (which is typical today, seen as normal, but actually abnormal).
Here are two full-text articles which clearly show that omega-3 PUFA intake is **NOT** related to hemorrhagic stroke incidence. Period. End of story.
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:296321
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031218/msgs/296333.html