Diet, Nutrition and SupplementationPost here for supplement reviews or nutritional advice. If you're trying to get "ripped abz" THIS is where you should be.
I used some of the Rx fish oil, and my triglycerides were a little lower while I used it. But the price seemed kind of outragieous compared to the small improvement.
I just did a quick google search and cost for 120 1gram tablets of Lovaza was $171 at Drugstore.com and Costco was about $168. (The Costco quote was for fewer tablets so just did quick math in my head for Costco quote.)
OK, call me math-challenged and fish-oil challenged. I've been sitting on the fence about fish oil for 2 years now and it's time to just finally get over my fear of it and JUST DO IT. I tried the Coromega and, while the test was OK, it's a bit pricey. So, with these goals in mind,
1. Minimize any repeat or burps
2. The prescription for my current nutrition is..direct quote..."6x1 gram capsules of fish oil per day"
3. Easy to swallow
Now, here's where the math comes in. I look at this and think I need 6 per day to reach what I'm supposed to have; however, after reading some of the very confusing math equations in this thread, I am convinced I am wrong, somehow. 6X1 gram capsule should mean just that, shouldn't it????
So, can someone please break this down to me as if I were a first-grader and just tell me how many of these suckers a day to swallow? Or, I'm just going with six!!
OK, call me math-challenged and fish-oil challenged. I've been sitting on the fence about fish oil for 2 years now and it's time to just finally get over my fear of it and JUST DO IT. I tried the Coromega and, while the test was OK, it's a bit pricey. So, with these goals in mind,
1. Minimize any repeat or burps
2. The prescription for my current nutrition is..direct quote..."6x1 gram capsules of fish oil per day"
3. Easy to swallow
Now, here's where the math comes in. I look at this and think I need 6 per day to reach what I'm supposed to have; however, after reading some of the very confusing math equations in this thread, I am convinced I am wrong, somehow. 6X1 gram capsule should mean just that, shouldn't it????
So, can someone please break this down to me as if I were a first-grader and just tell me how many of these suckers a day to swallow? Or, I'm just going with six!!
I'm not sure who said 6x1 caps a day. That's too vague, as caps vary. Those ones are pretty potent, though.
Each of those will give you 630mg of EPA/DHA (combined). So, with 6, that's 3780mg or 3.8g of EPA/DHA.
Did you get a recommendation on EPA/DHA, or just fish oil caps 6x1g per day? The typical, mainstream, decent quality fish oil cap has 320mg combined, but there are bad ones with less and some super-duper ones with more.
If I were recommending a dose to start, I would say say 2 to 3g per day of combined EPA/DHA. 3g for a guy who's 175-200? 2 or 2.5 for someone lighter. There's no magic number.
Remember that there are big benefits from reducing Omega-6s, too. You're trying to balance things out as much as possible, which takes reductions in soybean oil, corn oil, and 'vegetable oil' (usually made of corn and soy combined).
Also, there are all sorts of oils that claim to high in 3s (usually true), but fail to understand that the high amounts of 6s tends to mess up any benefits of the 3s. Check out your various oils, nuts, seeds, over at nutritiondate.com, where they lay out the fat breakdown very well.
Roland, here's a quote from John Berardi. Again, I am assuming that he is talking about the total grams of each capsule (ie, if I have a 1000mg capsule = 1g, so take at least 6 a day).
“I consider fish oil to be an essential supplement for fat loss.
Data from the University of Western Ontario shows that fish oil supplementation increases lean body mass (during non-dieting conditions), increases BMR (by up to 400kcal/day), decreases inflammation, and improves the ratio of fat/carb oxidized (sparing carbs, burning fat).
Recommended dose: Start with 6-10g per day of total fish oil (assuming 30% EPA and DHA).”
Looks like he is assuming 30% EPA/DHA in those 1g capsules, so he wants you to shoot for 6*300 or 1800 mg total EPA/DHA.
Your capsules give you 630 mg each - so take 3 to meet JBs low-end recommendation.
Hold on.... I just got mine at lunch today and they are 1200mg capsules with 360mg of DPA/DHA, which is 30% of 1200, not 630. Argh! This is so confusing. Why do I have a complete mental block about this?????
that's odd - are you sure you got the capsules that you linked to?
Because the website says as Roland says: http://www.vitacost.com/Jarrow-Formu...ngredientFacts
Does that label not match the one you are holding in your hand for one capsule?
No, I didn't get those......I stopped at CVS at lunch and their store brand was Buy One Get One Free (total 580 capsules for $18) and that brand was a recommended brand on this list:
OK, then, I'm on my way. I think I'll stick to taking two of 'em 3x a day to make it easy. Thanks for holding my hand thru all of this guys! Honestly, I really am not stupid. Except when it comes to fish oil.
It's a little like saying: I want you to eat 3 ounces of meat or fish per meal so that you get 20g of protein per meal. Your real goal is 20g protein and you have to back in to what you really need to eat depending on the source (fish, eggs, beef). Your goal is 1800 mg EPA/DHA combined, and you back into what you actually take based on the potency on the label.
The big confusion is just that the absolute recommendation for amount of fish oil caps is meant for the standard caps that have
300mg EPA+DHA combined
contain 1000mg (or 1 gram) of oil
The recommendations that you see when it comes to increased fat loss most often is either 6 or 10 caps (for normal standard sized standard amts of omega3)
If your fish oil has different amounts of EPA+DHA combined you need to do the math..
Some people still take liquid cod liver oil as they can't stand caps .. you have to weigh a bit more careful here. From what I gather 100ml of CLO has 18g (18 000mg) of EPA+DHA combined, so to get 1800 mg you need 10ml (grams work fine too) .. to get up to 3000mg that's 3/18 x 100ml = 17ml of CLO.
Dunno about you but I am no longer willing to spend 153 kcal on fish oil alone when I can get it in just 45 kcal (5 caps of 630mg EPA+DHA combined).
When cost was more important to me than calories, I have taken up to 20ml of CLO a day.. actually for over 2 yrs.
Low carb diet does not reduce my LDL or Triglycerides all that much. After research I decided that LDL was not that significant, but the Trig. was. Doctor recommended 4 grams of O-3s a day, via Lovasa (each capsule has 1 gram of O-3s). It worked well but was about a $100 a month. It did drop those Trigs very nicely. So I started experimenting with the cheaper versions in larger quantities and they seemed to work just as well. Recently on another site someone suggested Carlson's Lemon Flavored Fishoil, $22 at Amazon, others, for 16+ ounces, 1 tsp has 1600 mg of O-3s. You can use it as a salad dressing or whatever. I am going to switch to it as soon as I use up the last of my Costco stuff.
A new study is about to be started concerning fish oil and vitamin D relating to cancer and heart disease suppression. The answers won't be available for at least 6 years so stick around.
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"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."
Since Ive written a book on supplements I thought I'd toss in my 2 cents.
for people WITHOUT heart disease, don't use more than 1 gram (1000 mg) fish oil a day. I noticed one of the previous posts recommending 3-6 grams a day and that is way too much for "healthy" people. At doses above 3-4 grams side effects might start to occur. Trainers, please don't be recommitting supplements if you are not up on the research (all of it). your liability insurance WILL NOT COVER YOU IF YOU ARE SUED for advice about supplements.
Also, a lot of the research on people give to fish oil supplements really comes from research of people who eat fish. I know most people on this list eat fish but its food for thought to toss out to clients who ask about this supplement.
Joe
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Joe Cannon MS CSCS NSCA-CPT
writer, educator, personal trainer
certifies personal trainers My books:
1. Personal Fitness Training Beyond the Basics
2. Nutritional Supplements: What Works and Why
3. Nutrition Essentials: A Guidebook for the Fitness Professional
4. Personal Trainer Practice Test
5. Personal Trainer Big Book of Questions & Answers
My website: www.Joe-Cannon.com
Since Ive written a book on supplements I thought I'd toss in my 2 cents.
for people WITHOUT heart disease, don't use more than 1 gram (1000 mg) fish oil a day. I noticed one of the previous posts recommending 3-6 grams a day and that is way too much for "healthy" people. At doses above 3-4 grams side effects might start to occur. Trainers, please don't be recommitting supplements if you are not up on the research (all of it). your liability insurance WILL NOT COVER YOU IF YOU ARE SUED for advice about supplements.
Also, a lot of the research on people give to fish oil supplements really comes from research of people who eat fish. I know most people on this list eat fish but its food for thought to toss out to clients who ask about this supplement.
Joe
What is the research you are referring to? What are the side effects. How long would it take to start seeing them?
I am taking less than a tablespoon of a fish oil, which provides just under 3 grams of O-3s a day. This has reduced my triglycerides. In part this is to make my doctor happy, I have highish LDLs which does not worry me, and do not tolerate statins. Doctors have somewhat freaked out that I won't take statins. Despite (because of?) eating very low carb my total cholesterol went up from 170 to 270 when I dropped statins. HDL is good.
If we search for books and online journals written on the subject of omega 3 fish oil benefits, we find hundreds of references cited in this context. Most of these books are written by medical doctors explaining their experience with the treatment of various illnesses with fish oil supplements and the reaction of patients. These doctors have also suggested that eating fish directly is not a very healthy option because of the toxins and other contaminants found in oceans today. The solution is to find a high-quality, refined and totally pure fish oil supplement product available on the market.
I've been taking Nature Made Odorless Fish Oil. I don't know how good or bad they are but I can swallow them without any problems. Of course, now it seems I might be over doing it (I take 2 after breakfast and 2 after dinner... of course, there have been weeks when I've not taken any). I swear the bottle suggests 2-4 softgels per day but the site says 1-2 softgels/day. No consistency . From last year, my LDL is definitely low (cholesterol was high last physical), HDL increased by 10 points, Trig way low. This could be a combination of eating well, losing 50 lbs (still need to lose 30lbs or so), working out, multivitamins etc.
but I can swallow them without any problems. Of course, now it seems I might be over doing it (I take 2 after breakfast and 2 after dinner... of course, there have been weeks when I've not taken any). I swear the bottle suggests 2-4 softgels per day but the site says 1-2 softgels/day. No consistency 
. From last year, my LDL is definitely low (cholesterol was high last physical), HDL increased by 10 points, Trig way low. This could be a combination of eating well, losing 50 lbs (still need to lose 30lbs or so), working out, multivitamins etc.
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