Omega -3 ( DHA , EPA) is so fundamentally important for our health.
I touched on this last year, how it will help increase muscle mass. I will share a couple
of other benifits that taking omega – 3 will help with.
Keep scrolling to find out more about Omega-3 to your body.
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How much fish oil should we take?
Firstly dose is important. Taking for example 2 fish oil per day will not do much for you. This archaic guidelines based on very old conservative data that is very out of date. New studies have shown to get maximal benifits you need 2.1 grams of DHA and EPA.
Depending on the brand you take, it will say on the back how much EPA amd DHA is in every pill. This usually is a overstatement. I take 1500mg fish oil pills and I need to take 10-12 pills a day to get optimum benifits. So I split that 5-6 at lunch and 5-6 at dinner. Fish oil is very safe. Any side effects would be possibly gastro discomfort if anything. My advice is start with 2, then if no discomfort after a few weeks go to four, and so on , and so on,untill you achieve desired amount. If your not a fan of pills I’m sure there is liquid forms. Obviously eating fish is a good way to get your omegas but mercury and contaminates is a concern with a high fish diet. In another post I will adress different fish to eat.
What is the benefits of taking them?
So what are the benifits of taking so much fish oil ? Well as discussed before it’s great for maintaining muscle mass as we age.
It’s is essential for brain health. People over 65 with omega -3 DHA levels in there red blood cells (>6.1%) have about half the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia compared to a lower level of ( <3.8%). Fish oil will reduce atrophy of the brain which will gradually happen over time as we age. 2.1 grams can get 95% of people from 4% to 8% on the omega -3 index.
Omega – 3 also reduces blood pressure! For people with high blood pressure, 3 grams of EPA and DHA is the sweet spot which lowered systolic blood pressure by 4.5mmHg. People with normal blood pressure 3 grams reduced it by 2mmHg ( in a meta analysis of 71 randomized placebo controlled trials. )
Omega -3 supplementation of 2 grams of EPA + DHA also improved executive function on tests, and had improved white matter of microstructral integrity, and increased grey matter volume in the brain after 26 weeks compared to placebo group. Additionally brain-derived neurotrophic factor which is growth factor involved in memory and learning increased.
When should I take them? Is there a specific brand?
You can take them anytime. Its best to take wityh food however as this will reduce any gastro issues if you have sensitive stomach.
So what brand should you chose when supplementing ? Again mercury is a concern so make sure you research your brand to make sure it goes through 3rd party testing.
Consumer Lab is a great 3rd party tester of all supplements to make sure they are pure and contaminate free. Also that they have the right amount of mineral vitimins they claim to have.
Takeaway
In short, the more omega- 3 you have, the more stronger you are both mentally and pysically. If you don’t supplement, give it a go, if you do , try and increase your dosage to beneficial amount which is 2.1 grams of both EPA and DHA. 😊
