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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ilene on January 24, 2003, at 22:07:49
I tried taking fish oil (EPA & DHA) to no avail. I was taking 9 grams of EPA per day (18 gelcaps). I finally gave up because of the expense and the difficulty of swallowing all those pills, while it didn't seem to have any effect.
So I have been eating some fish every day. I've been going for small fish that don't sequester mercury. Plus I can get calcium from the ones that are canned with bones. I've been getting canned salmon, mackerel, and sardines, and pickled herring. These are also less expensive than smoked salmon and other luxuries. (My cats are quite interested, my daughter thinks it's revolting. I'm beginning to agree with her.)
Problem is--when I checked the lipid content of these fish I found a 100 gram (about 3.5 oz) serving had hardly any EPA (20:5 n-3) or DHA (22:6 n-3). I don't see how anyone could get more than a couple of grams, short of 3 squares a day of mackerel with a cod-liver oil chaser.
What's the deal here? Am I eating the wrong fish? Am I looking at the wrong lipids? Is the data wrong? I'm using the USDA Nutrient Database (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl).
Posted by Larry Hoover on January 24, 2003, at 22:44:34
In reply to Fish oil in ... fish, posted by Ilene on January 24, 2003, at 22:07:49
> Problem is--when I checked the lipid content of these fish I found a 100 gram (about 3.5 oz) serving had hardly any EPA (20:5 n-3) or DHA (22:6 n-3). I don't see how anyone could get more than a couple of grams, short of 3 squares a day of mackerel with a cod-liver oil chaser.
>
> What's the deal here? Am I eating the wrong fish? Am I looking at the wrong lipids? Is the data wrong? I'm using the USDA Nutrient Database (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl).No, you're eating the right fish. My data shows that herring, sardines, and salmon each have over a gram of omega-3 per 100 grams of fish. One small can of salmon has two such servings.
Here are a couple links to tables derived from the USDA database, that make comparisons of fish lipid content easier:
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~ah/food/data/fishshellfish.lipids2
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~ah/food/data/fishshellfish.lipids3
Go to the main link (below) for access to tabular arrangements of the vitamin, mineral, lipid, and amino acid content of various meats and vegetables, and so on. Much easier to use than the USDA format, IMHO.
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~ah/food/
Lar
Posted by Ilene on January 24, 2003, at 23:33:29
In reply to Re: Fish oil in ... fish, posted by Larry Hoover on January 24, 2003, at 22:44:34
> > Problem is--when I checked the lipid content of these fish I found a 100 gram (about 3.5 oz) serving had hardly any EPA (20:5 n-3) or DHA (22:6 n-3). I don't see how anyone could get more than a couple of grams, short of 3 squares a day of mackerel with a cod-liver oil chaser.
> >
> > What's the deal here? Am I eating the wrong fish? Am I looking at the wrong lipids? Is the data wrong? I'm using the USDA Nutrient Database (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl).
>
> No, you're eating the right fish. My data shows that herring, sardines, and salmon each have over a gram of omega-3 per 100 grams of fish. One small can of salmon has two such servings.
>
....> Lar
Yes, when you add the EPA & DHA together you can get over a gram for some fish. It is still not an impressive amount, esp. when I read about the Inuit diet supposedly having something like 15 grams/day of omega-3s. Do you think they eat (or ate) the equivalent of 7 or 8 cans of salmon every day?
Posted by noa on January 25, 2003, at 10:07:57
In reply to Re: Fish oil in ... fish, posted by Ilene on January 24, 2003, at 23:33:29
I read that farm-raised fish does not have as much omega-3s because of what they are fed. Is it possible the fish you have eaten is farm-raised?
Posted by Larry Hoover on January 25, 2003, at 11:09:23
In reply to Re: Fish oil in ... fish, posted by noa on January 25, 2003, at 10:07:57
> I read that farm-raised fish does not have as much omega-3s because of what they are fed. Is it possible the fish you have eaten is farm-raised?
European farmed fish is fed a grain-based ration, whereas North American farmed fish like Atlantic salmon is fed a fish-meal-based ration. The former farmed salmon has high levels of omega-6 relative to omega-3, whereas the latter can contain more omega-3 than wild-caught fish (according to recent analyses).
I strongly believe that fish confers far more health-promoting effects than health-destructive effects (via contaminants). Certainly, fish caught in heavily polluted waters (e.g. the Great Lakes) should probably be avoided, or at least eaten in restricted amounts. Find a fish you like, and eat it often.
Lar
Posted by Ilene on January 25, 2003, at 21:14:33
In reply to Re: Fish oil in ... fish, posted by Larry Hoover on January 25, 2003, at 11:09:23
> > I read that farm-raised fish does not have as much omega-3s because of what they are fed. Is it possible the fish you have eaten is farm-raised?
>
> European farmed fish is fed a grain-based ration, whereas North American farmed fish like Atlantic salmon is fed a fish-meal-based ration. The former farmed salmon has high levels of omega-6 relative to omega-3, whereas the latter can contain more omega-3 than wild-caught fish (according to recent analyses).
>
> I strongly believe that fish confers far more health-promoting effects than health-destructive effects (via contaminants). Certainly, fish caught in heavily polluted waters (e.g. the Great Lakes) should probably be avoided, or at least eaten in restricted amounts. Find a fish you like, and eat it often.
>
> LarI would be delighted to eat fish every day. The problem is getting good fresh fish that I can afford. I don't like farmed fish. This area has some great seafood but the most trustworthy local market sells it for over $12/pound, and good tuna is about $18, maybe $19. I decided I would rather eat canned salmon than farm-raised salmon, because the canned fish has no pretensions about being anything other than canned fish.
I *am* holding out for Alaskan Copper River wild-caught salmon. I have to get it a few times a year. I'll get some red snapper and striped bass when they go on sale, too.
Now I'm starting to think about sushi . . . .
Posted by susan C on January 29, 2003, at 13:18:25
In reply to Re: Fish oil in ... fish, posted by Ilene on January 24, 2003, at 23:33:29
Side comment:
Norwegian fishermen demanded to have a clause in their contracts that said, "no more than two meals a day could include salmon"...mouse at the nets
"Sometimes there are no clear answers"
S.I.Clark
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