It is important to first point out that there is no upper limit on the amount of omega-3s you consume, so keep packing your food with these healthy fatty acids!
Mbg’s own director of research, Ashley Jordan Ferirara, PhD, RDN, put it this way: the general population does not make good sense. According to science, there is no reason to run your fingers around omega-3 fats, just as you would not run your fingers around avocados or olive oil. These are healthy fats that deserve a prominent place in every dietary model. “
As for supplements, there is technically a ceiling on how much EPA and DHA we need to get – but it’s much, much higher than you think (and not a problem at all at clinically effective doses).
Clinical studies have shown that it is safe to take up to 10 grams (10,000 milligrams) of EPA and DHA per day – more than 20 times the recommended minimum intake (ie two servings of fish per week equals approximately 500 milligrams of EPA plus DHA daily). In context, most fish oil supplements offer 250 to 1,800 milligrams of EPA and DHA per serving, which means you will need to take 10 to 40 servings a day to reach potentially dangerous levels (ie, a stupid amount).
Talking about the alleged health problems associated with omega-3s, let’s look at the fears that taking a fish oil supplement can dilute the blood and reduce blood clotting. While evidence shows that omega-3s naturally have a positive biological effect on platelets, blood thinning is not a problem for the dosage that omega-3 supplements provide – or even the outrageously high (but completely safe) intake of 10 grams per day. meaning.
Eager to deal with this folklore for fish oil, Ferira explains that the last 30 years of epidemiological and clinical studies have shown, from numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyzes, that there is no increased risk of bleeding.
“Even if you want to be incredibly conservative and apply a random safety factor of two and make that daily maximum of 5 grams (5,000 milligrams) of EPA plus DHA, these are not the omega-3 levels that supplements provide. Period, “Ferira said.
With this in mind, anyone with personalized bleeding considerations and / or taking blood-thinning medications should talk to their healthcare provider before adding an omega-3 supplement to their daily routine (outside abundance of caution).