Posted by Jlx on September 14, 2006, at 18:11:32
In reply to how high can you go with epa, total fish oils?, posted by saturn on September 12, 2006, at 11:08:05
This page is a summary of research to date. http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/Omega-3.htm#FishTable
Note that sometimes gram doses are EPA/DHA and sometimes grams are of fish oil.
EPA and DHA amounts per softgel may differ widely brand to brand, but are often 180/120 respectively.
I take Natural Factors, RxOmega-3 Factors Pharmaceutical Grade, which contains 400 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA per capsule. 240 capsules is $23.05 at iherb, approximately 10 cents per capsule. http://www.iherb.com/store/ProductDetails.aspx?c=Herbs&pid=NFS-35491
High doses of fish oil increasing chance of stroke has been one adverse consequence I've read about in the past, but in this article...
Fish oil: what the prescriber needs to know
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2006http://arthritis-research.com/content/8/1/202
the "Safety" discussion of this article notes that the bleeding tendency in Inuits with their high Omega-3 consumption occurs within a context of low dietary Omega-6.
"Within the Western context, fish oil supplements have not been associated with an increased bleeding tendency, even in patients taking aspirin or warfarin for antithrombotic effect."
That article also notes that to obtain the inflammatory effect of fish oil such as for arthritis, as many as nine capsules may be needed (to provide 2.7 gm EPA).
A safety discussion from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/inside.asp?AID=1472&UID=26644
SAFETY
There have been 3 possible adverse effects of ?-3 FAs: an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, excess bleeding, and worsening of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The increase in LDL-C levels is typically less than 5% to 10%,61 but in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, an increase of up to 30% can occur.62 In such cases, however, levels are depressed at baseline and usually do not increase above 130 mg/dL. If this becomes a clinical problem, combination therapy with ?-3 FA and a statin is a safe and effective strategy for patients with elevated levels of both LDL-C and triglycerides.70 At doses of 1 g/d, no effects on LDL-C have been noted. Increased bleeding times have been reported in humans consuming very high quantities (>20 g/d) of ?-3 FAs.71 However, no bleeding complications were reported with 7 g/d of ?-3 FAs in a large restenosis study,30 and the combination of ?-3 FAs with either aspirin or warfarin produced no adverse effects.32 At dosages of 2 to 3 g/d, ?-3 FAs have little effect on bleeding times.72 Some studies have suggested worsening glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes when large amounts of fish oil are used.73 However, studies providing more moderate dosages (eg, <3 g/d) have not reported adverse effects.74-77
That was the best info I found.
JL
poster:Jlx
thread:685271
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20060817/msgs/686003.html