Fish Oil 101: What You Need To Know

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Fish oil, best known and loved for its abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, is a key player in promoting overall health and wellbeing. Its positive impact on heart health, cognitive function, and skin health is unmatched, not to mention it can benefit our eyes, digestive system, joints, and more. Fish oil is an out-of-the-park homerun supplement, and in this week’s blog post, I’m covering the benefits, where to get it from, and my tips for finding your own fish oil. 

So what is fish oil? What’s it made of? 

Fish oil is a dietary supplement made from the tissues of fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, herring, and sardines. The fish oil industry dates back to the 1770s, but it’s suggested that the scope of fish oil’s health benefits wasn’t entirely understood until the 1970s. Since then, fish oil has grown in popularity, and experts have come to realize how much of a difference it can make for our health and longevity. 

What’s the big deal? What does it do?

Most of fish oil’s benefits stem from its anti-inflammatory properties. I’ve explained the dangers of inflammation on the blog, but the long and short of it is that inflammation contributes to various diseases, like cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, digestive disorders, etc. By taking an anti-inflammatory supplement, like fish oil, you can help your body fight off chronic inflammation and in doing so, improve the function of your various bodily systems and lower your disease risk. 

I could go on and on about the benefits, but instead I’ll just give you a quick summary in bullet points. Fish oil has been shown to: 

  • Reduce your triglyceride levels

  • Lower your blood pressure 

  • Improve memory, mood, and cognitive health

  • Boost mental health

  • Alleviate pain and stiffness in the body

  • Relieve joint pain and arthritis

  • Reduce vision deterioration 

  • Prevent age-related macular degeneration

  • Alleviate skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis

  • Mitigate the effects of sun damage

  • Improve your skin, hair, and nail health

  • Regulate digestion 

  • Increase your absorption of vitamins and minerals from food and other supplements

  • Fortify your immune system

  • Increase your energy

  • Alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety

As you can see, fish oil has numerous benefits to offer the body, and if you’re interested in adding it to your daily life, here’s where I would start. 

How to get your omega 3s

If you have access to high quality fresh or frozen fish—geographically and financially—then you can definitely get the omega 3s you need straight from the source, aka by eating fish. To do this, the American Heart Association recommends consuming at least two servings of fatty fish (3.5 ounces or 100 grams) per week. 

Salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and herring are all great food sources of fish oil. If you are a vegetarian, you can still get omega 3s through plant sources—flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, and algae oil are your best options for that. 

If you’re not a big fish eater and would rather just take a supplement, there are numerous fish oil supplements out there. They come in softgels, liquid form, even gummies. (Check out this week’s newsletter for my top fish oil recommendations.)

Things to keep in mind

When shopping for a fish oil of your own, you want to make sure your supplement is a) free of contaminants (heavy metals and PCBs), b) third-party tested by an independent lab or organization, and c) that the dosage is safe. Too much of anything can be unhealthy, and consuming too much fish oil can backfire quickly (read: produce adverse side effects). 

Dosage wise, for the average adult, 250 to 500 milligrams of combined EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) per day is a good start for general health maintenance. If you are on other medications, talk to your doctor, because fish oil can cause blood thinning and may also interact with blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications. If you don’t have any health issues, start with the minimum dose and see how you feel. Should any unpleasant side effects arise, call your doctor and ask them about it. 

Finally, make sure the company you’re supporting has sustainable and traceable sourcing practices in place. Our health depends on the health of our planet, and whatever we can do to minimize environmental impact, we should do it!

By carefully evaluating these factors and choosing a high-quality fish oil supplement, you can ensure that you're getting the most out of this beneficial nutritional supplement while minimizing any potential risks and side effects. As always, I hope you’ll use this article as a jumping off point to learn more about fish oil. Nothing is quite as empowering as making your own informed decisions about your health, and the same goes for incorporating fish oil into your daily regimen. 

Xo, 

Renata