What are people's opinions of Fish Oil

[Charles555nc]

Keeping in mind a CFS diagnosis...


1. What do you think of fish oil?
2. What benefits should you expect from fish oil.
3. Are there any draw backs to fish oil?

 

[alex3619]

Drawbacks: fish oil can thin the blood and too much fish oil can slow the immune response - reducing capacity to fight infection.

Drawbacks of low grade fish oil: low grade fish oil has contaminants of one sort or another. The more you take, the higher the risk. Its worth going for high grade fish oil. The highest grade is around 90% active ingredients, that is DHA + EPA is close to 900mg per gram.

Advantages: its mildly anti-inflammatory, which is why is reduces the immune response. It can alleviate some symptoms, but not quickly nor powerfully. It is noted that it might restore some brain capacity, but this is theoretical. It will increase insulin sensitivity and improve cell and organelle membranes. It helps restore the omega-3 destroyed by oxidative stress.

I have been using fish oil on and off since 1993 - and I am still sick. Its not a miracle drug but its useful and an essential part of nutrition.

Bye, Alex

 

[xks201]

The founder of the fish oil movement said fish oil alone is useless. it is oily fish in their entirety that are beneficial to nervous system health, not just a triglyceride like a fish oil or dha supplement. lol

 

[Sallysblooms]

Pure fish oil is very helpful for inflammation and skin, hair, eyes, joints, heart, brain. Of course eating foods with it is important too.

 

[*GG*]

I take 3 grams/day in a prescription form, cheaper for me this way.

GG

 

[caledonia]

Stick with pharmaceutical grade due to impurities. I use Omega Rx brand. For me it helps mood - no more PMS, great for dry eyes and mouth, greatly reduces headaches from barometric pressure changes. There's probably something else I'm forgetting. If I take too much, I get a weird pressure in my neck veins. Too much is quite a bit, like 2 tablespoons or more. I'm taking 1.5 tsp right now.

 

[Valentijn]

It makes my M.E. headache go away if I take 2 grams daily. Nothing else helps with the headache.

 

[garcia]

There is a reason they are called *Essential* Fatty Acids.

 

[Lala]

I take 3 grams of Eskimo daily, which is high quality fish oil. I have never seen any benefits, but my doctor insists I continue using it, so I do.

 

[Bob]

It can help sooth me mentally, if my brain is feeling a bit frazzled or agitated, so I take it occasionally. Otherwise have never noticed any benefits.

 

[alex3619]

Expanding on my earlier post, my best guess on long term effects of omega-3 therapy for CFS or ME is it wont appreciably improve your symptoms though it will help address some of the physiological problems. Its best long term effect is to prevent additional problems over time - its a necessary part of balancing hormones and tissue function. My guess, and this is not a fact only a guess, is that it will slow deterioration and decline from ME. Its a good thing in moderation, though with anything an excess can be a problem. It may also be a problem in specific cases - everyone is different. Bye, Alex

 

[August59]

Viatamin Shoppe has a good enteric coated that has approximately 4 to 5 more times of EPA than does DPA which we seem to get an abundant amount of anyway. I believe it is recommended the we use a ratio of about 6 to 1, but I haven't found one with a ratio of exactly 6 to 1. I also like to snack on walnuts, almonds, pecans, reanuts and a few brazil nuts.

 

[heapsreal]

someone posted a link to a very good nutrition guide and i was suprised to find red meat like beef etc has omega 3s in it, sometimes i think we are brain washed to think its only in fish. There are many cultures that didnt eat fish that survived for hundreds of years, people only ate what was in there current environment.
Are we over thinking alot of nutrition??

 

[Sallysblooms]

I wish I had the luxury to be overthinking nutrition. Really healthy people can just eat healthful foods. We have to really be careful and get the best foods, huge variety, and the best supplements. I know that has worked for me. Before I was ill, I just ate healthful food. After getting ill, I had a B12 level that was barely there and many other problems too. Being ill uses up our reserves so we have to work hard to get what we need. Just like an athelete that needs extra nutrition to become the best.

 

[peggy-sue]

EPA is the good stuff

I've been taking a commercial product, "Vegepa" in high dose for several years - since I first read Prof. Basant Puri's book on it helping ME.
It contains no DHA, Prof. Puri seemed to think this was important.

I do find it helps a lot - I recently ran out and took a different (purified) stuff from the high street ("eye q", which had DHA in it) for a couple of months.

During this period, my brain-fog reappeared and so did the business of "somebody turning the gravity up" again.

I got hold of my supply of the Vegepa, and within a week and a half, gravity was normal and the fog had gone.

I'm sticking with it. I'm absolutely convinced it does a whole load of good.
(Even if it is just my own personal, anecdotal, "evidence-based-medicine" )

It's not a cure, I just sort of think it helps me to be the best I can be with ME.

 

[SOC]

I can't take a lot of fish oil before my blood becomes too "thin" -- a little scratch will bleed profusely and take a long time to clot. This is true of my daughter as well. My doc suggested flax oil instead or some flax and some fish. I seem to be doing ok with 2g fish oil and 2g flax oil.

Can't say I notice a huge difference except that my triglycerides stay at low normal levels. It may be having some anti-inflammatory effects, but if so, they are not immediate. I take it because Dr R recommends it.

 

[alex3619]

someone posted a link to a very good nutrition guide and i was suprised to find red meat like beef etc has omega 3s in it, sometimes i think we are brain washed to think its only in fish. There are many cultures that didnt eat fish that survived for hundreds of years, people only ate what was in there current environment.
Are we over thinking alot of nutrition??

Hi heapsreal, grain fed beef has some omega-3, not a huge amount. Its enough to avoid obvious deficiency, as is the short chain omega-3 in a lot of vegetarian diets. Grass fed beef on the other hand has a lot of omega-3. I am also not aware of the data on short versus long chain in beef - I think I used to know but I have forgotten. For anti-inflammatory effects EPA is the best type to take.

Bye, Alex

 

[peggy-sue]

Grass fed beef is far healthier than grain fed.
Grain fed animals produce unhealthy fats.
And cattle that eat grass are far happier and healthier than those fed on grain.

 

[heapsreal]

I wish I had the luxury to be overthinking nutrition. Really healthy people can just eat healthful foods. We have to really be careful and get the best foods, huge variety, and the best supplements. I know that has worked for me. Before I was ill, I just ate healthful food. After getting ill, I had a B12 level that was barely there and many other problems too. Being ill uses up our reserves so we have to work hard to get what we need. Just like an athelete that needs extra nutrition to become the best.

I know what u mean Sally, we are trying to use supplements like meds to overcome a condition (which can cause its own defiencies). Sometimes there just seems to be too many variables to think about with this illness. SOmetimes i think we have to go back to basics and add things slowly??

 

[hixxy]

I had an RBC Fatty Acid analysis done last year and showed I was low in omega fatty acids across the board. In a case such as this, Taking fish oil alone, will only make matters worse. Some opinions are that Omega 6 must be replenished first before Omega 3. It is all about balance. Unfortunately the only way to know this information is to cough up the $$ and get a test done.