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Should we avoid fish oil supplements?...

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
This study found that EPA in fish oil lowered natural killer cell activity, which is already low in patients with ME/CFS. Makes me wonder if taking fish oil or even eating oily fish is a good idea or not?

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/73/3/539.long

"Fish oil caused a significant reduction (mean decline: 48%) in NK cell activity that was fully reversed by 4 wk after supplementation had ceased."
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Someone the other day posted on another thread that different omega's have different benefits. Some are really good and others not so much. I can't remember who it was though. @WDN maybe? I think 3 was good, 9 was not. but don't quote me.
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
Yeah, it's complicated and confusing. But in the study above, some of the n-3 fatty acids didn't lower NK activity -- it was only the EPA from fish oil.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
I don't feel any different really. Someone suggested that it might be high because I'm fighting some kind of infection so who knows?

I also just found out I have some Primary Immune Disease. I need further testing to find out which one. It's always something isn't it?
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
This study is interesting, but it has generalizability issues. All participants were over 50, white, and healthy, and all women included were post-menopausal.

People have different nutritional needs at various times of their lives and depending on their health status. It's difficult to reason from this study to what people who aren't 50+, non-menstruating, and quite healthy, should do.

I do like to see biochemistry departments doing medical studies. :) And I think it would be interesting if further studies are carried out on more ranges of people.
 

Mij

Messages
2,353
Actually, I would prefer to have better brain function from taking fish oils(which I've experienced) than a higher NK cell activity. That's only if I had to choose :)
 
Messages
15,786
Actually, I would prefer to have better brain function from taking fish oils(which I've experienced) than a higher NK cell activity. That's only if I had to choose :)
I get a constant headache if I don't take fish oil. So not much choice in the matter.
 

August59

Daughters High School Graduation
Messages
1,617
Location
Upstate SC, USA
I've switched to Krill Oil for awhile, which is not very high in EPA/DHA, but it has a high phosphlid value. I'll need a few more weeks before I know for sure if there is a difference. No downsides so far after 4 weeks.
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
I would avoid high dose EPA, but DHA has some important functions, especially it is needed for cell membranes. DHA is one of the dominating lipids in the brain. I like Jarrow Max DHA, I think 500mg DHA is a good dose, and this will provide you only 130mg EPA which shouldn't be a problem:

http://www.jarrow.com/product/90/Max_DHA
 
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peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I really suffer if I do not take high doses of EPA. My brain goes, I start wearing an invisible suit of lead again.
EPA and sublingual B12 are the two very best things I take.

I ran out of my purified EPA, and took a proprietary OTC one which contained DHA as well for 3 months, and went badly downhill.

High doses of EPA do me the world of good. :thumbsup:
DHA makes me worse, even in combination with EPA.:mad:

We're all different. What's good for one of us isn't neccessarily good for others.
Clearly, @adreno - your body and mine are in opposition about EPA and DHA - if the DHA helps you!:wide-eyed:
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
EPA has a generalized anti-inflammatory action, so it might indeed push down NK function. Its a question of balance.

On the other hand it is essential for hormone synthesis, and a lack of it might lead to all sorts of issues that are hard to pin down as I don't think enough science has been done. Since oxidative stress, which is typical for ME, damages omega-3 fats, its important to have some omega-3 source in the diet, especially long chain omega-3.

The issue though is what kind of dose is appropriate, for what conditions. I don't think we know enough, so its the lemon rule: the only way to find out if a particular dose is a problem is to suck it and see if its a lemon.
 

peggy-sue

Senior Member
Messages
2,623
Location
Scotland
I have tested all my lemons. :thumbsup: Several times.
A very high dose of EPA (8 capsules of VegEPA daily) massively increases my baseline functioning.
It reduces PEM drastically, because I'm not "overdoing" just to attempt to get through the basics of eating and being nearly socially acceptably clean.
It costs a fortune and it is worth every penny, it makes such a huge difference to how well I am with ME.
Not a cure, just a massive difference in the quality and quantity of my life available for living.

All I do know about my own immune system is that before I got sick, it was a very robust and reactive one.
Vaccinations, (Which I try to avoid as much as possible, now my parents cannot force them on me. Travel is not worth the jabs required.) always resulted in massive reactions.

Typhoid had me in bed with a fever for a week. (twice - it was a 2 shot thing)
My BCG erupted into a sore that didn't heal for a year. I had to stop swimming because I wasn't allowed to get my arm wet.
Cholera made my whole arm swell alarmingly and gave me a fever for a week.
 

dannybex

Senior Member
Messages
3,561
Location
Seattle
I really suffer if I do not take high doses of EPA. My brain goes, I start wearing an invisible suit of lead again.
EPA and sublingual B12 are the two very best things I take.

I ran out of my purified EPA, and took a proprietary OTC one which contained DHA as well for 3 months, and went badly downhill.

High doses of EPA do me the world of good. :thumbsup:
DHA makes me worse, even in combination with EPA.:mad:

We're all different. What's good for one of us isn't neccessarily good for others.
Clearly, @adreno - your body and mine are in opposition about EPA and DHA - if the DHA helps you!:wide-eyed:

Yup, we're all different…that's why there will never be ONE "cure" for ME/CFS. But I'm curious Peggy-Sue, do you know why the VegEPA makers and/or Professor Puri recommend against DHA?
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
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