46 replies to this topic

[nameless]

Hey, important update, the amount of fish oil I supplement is now zero. I figured out that after I've been taking it for three years now or whatever it's been that it's been disposing me to have palpitations the entire time. Crazy huh? I guess fish oil causes palpitations in a significant number of people, if you google "fish oil palpitations" you'll see what I mean.

Was it dose dependent, or occurred regardless of dose?

I've read about palpitations for certain people with arrhythmias, but I thought it was much less common in people otherwise.

Have you tried an enteric coated fish oil and does palpitations still occur? Just wondering if perhaps stomach upset-reflux from fish oil is aggravating the vagus nerve or something, and maybe that is the cause.

Edited by nameless, 02 October 2010 - 05:13 PM.

[yucca06]

0 mg

http://raypeat.com/a...s/fishoil.shtml and others...

[pamojja]

0 mg

http://raypeat.com/a...s/fishoil.shtml and others...

... The fats that we synthesize from sugar, or coconut oil, or oleic acid, the omega-9 series, are protective against the inflammatory PUFA, in some cases more effective even than vitamin E.

Would love Ray Peat to be true: I wouldn't had to replace sugar with a total of 12g fishoil (6g EPA/DHA) daily...

[malbecman]

I would imagine that like most nutrients/supplements, etc. there is quite a bit of inter-individual variability in terms of requirements, eg, there is no one correct dose
but certainly getting some into your system is better than none at all. Plenty of epidemiological evidence for that.....

From the Mayo clinic website:

Background
Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid

Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fish oil and certain plant/nut oils. Fish oil contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), while some nuts (English walnuts) and vegetable oils (canola, soybean, flaxseed/linseed, olive) contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

There is evidence from multiple studies supporting intake of recommended amounts of DHA and EPA in the form of dietary fish or fish oil supplements lowers triglycerides, reduces the risk of death, heart attack, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes in people with known cardiovascular disease, slows the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques ("hardening of the arteries"), and lowers blood pressure slightly. However, high doses may have harmful effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding. Although similar benefits are proposed for alpha-linolenic acid, scientific evidence is less compelling, and beneficial effects may be less pronounced.


See also their evidence page:

http://www.mayoclini...ECTION=evidence



and their dosing page:

Adults (18 years and older):

Average dietary intake of omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids : Average Americans consume approximately 1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids each day, of which about 1.4 grams (~90%) comes from α-linolenic acid, and only 0.1-0.2 grams (~10%) from EPA and DHA. In Western diets, people consume roughly 10 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. These large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids come from the common use of vegetable oils containing linoleic acid (for example: corn oil, evening primrose oil, pumpkin oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, wheatgerm oil). Because omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids compete with each other to be converted to active metabolites in the body, benefits can be reached either by decreasing intake of omega-6 fatty acids, or by increasing omega-3 fatty acids.

Recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids (healthy adults) : For healthy adults with no history of heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week. In particular, fatty fish are recommended, such as anchovies, bluefish, carp, catfish, halibut, herring, lake trout, mackerel, pompano, salmon, striped sea bass, tuna (albacore), and whitefish. It is also recommended to consume plant-derived sources of α-linolenic acid, such as tofu/soybeans, walnuts, flaxseed oil, and canola oil. The World Health Organization and governmental health agencies of several countries recommend consuming 0.3-0.5 grams of daily EPA + DHA and 0.8-1.1 grams of daily α-linolenic acid. A doctor and pharmacist should be consulted for dosing for other condition


It's pretty low recommended doseage at 0.3-0.5 grams total EPA+DHA per day!

[Ark]

I tend to cycle my dosage depending on daily factors, (for instance, if I am feeling sick I lower my dosage) Or if I'm sore from working out I'll way up my dosage. Also like to swap out fish oil for coconut oil/pumpkin seed oil, ever so often.

[everythingeverything]

I tend to take about 900mg a a day. Any thoughts on this: http://www.scienceda...01005104342.htm (Fish Oil Linked to Increased Risk of Colon Cancer in Mice). I'm not sure how high the doses were.

[RighteousReason]

Hey, important update, the amount of fish oil I supplement is now zero. I figured out that after I've been taking it for three years now or whatever it's been that it's been disposing me to have palpitations the entire time. Crazy huh? I guess fish oil causes palpitations in a significant number of people, if you google "fish oil palpitations" you'll see what I mean.

that's a lil freaky

[Aeropsia]

Are we talking about fish oil or it's EPA content?

[Dmitri]

Hey, important update, the amount of fish oil I supplement is now zero. I figured out that after I've been taking it for three years now or whatever it's been that it's been disposing me to have palpitations the entire time. Crazy huh? I guess fish oil causes palpitations in a significant number of people, if you google "fish oil palpitations" you'll see what I mean.

That's odd, a scientific study that was conducted in 2005 found that it was only a problem in people who already had irregular heart rhythms.

Here's the article: http://www.usatoday....-fish-oil_x.htm

"Fish oil supplements could trigger potentially deadly heart rhythms in people whose hearts already beat dangerously out of sync, doctors report today".

[John2009]

I take 4800 MG of nature-made brand fish oil per day (divided in a morning and evening dose) which gives me 1440 MG of omega-3 per day. This is the maximum dose on the bottle. For a long time I took 2400 Mg of fish oil but did not notice much of a difference in how I felt. When I upped the dose I had less anxiety and improved mood, although I did up my vitamin D dose from 1400 IU to 2400 IU per day at the same time so it could be the D, the Fish oil, a combination of both, or a placebo effect from reading positive studies and experiences, that caused the improvements.

In general, how much fish oil can a person take before they have to worry about blood thinning ? With the amount I take, if I were in a car accident and/or required emergency surgery, would the blood thinning effects of the fish oil likely cause any problems ? What if I also took some aspirin for a headache the same day ?

In the past I have also taken 600 to 1200 Mg of Koylic aged garlic extract per day, but I was told by their R&D department that Koylic does not really thin the blood as much as regular garlic.

I read a salmon fillet usually has around 1200 Mg of omega-3 in it, so I'm guessing staying close to that using supplements would be unlikely to pose any problems.

[longevitynow]

My dosage varies, I'm not as consistent as I should be. But I take a liquid that is fresh and flavored. I'll take 1-3 tablespoons, higher doses I definitely feel more relaxed (look at the studies on bipolar disorder). I also have a warehouse store brand that I will pop when I am in a hurry. But, if it isn't fresh (a little rancid? why that very strong fish breath?), could it be causing some of the problems we want to prevent. I'm convinced the liquid I take is superior, and really doesn't taste bad, but the method is a bit more of a hassle than popping a pill. I think quality and consistent intake of the oils is most important for brain health. My dandruff goes away when I take it consistently and returns when I stop. For me that seems to be a good measure of how much is enough.

[distinct]

I don't supp fish oil anymore; it just doesn't agree with me anymore. I was using the same brand for years and suddenly I was having GI issues and, more importantly, palpitations. I tried a new bottle, and even another brand that my buddy takes - same thing. I don't think it was the fish oil, probably stress, but stopping the FO made me feel better so take that FWIW. Oddly enough, eating 1/2lb of salmon doesn't effect me the same way. Maybe I was already getting enough O3 in my diet, and fish oil was pushing me over my personal limit? I do eat fresh fish multiple times a week.

[pycnogenol]

Now taking 1 gram of fish oil per day - the Nordic Naturals brand.

[Maus]

I eat hemp seeds every day, and my parents just bought some flax seed oil and flax seeds (that I have yet to include)- is it important to also be taking Fish Oil?

[JKDC]

I vary from 3-4 grams of actual epa/dha per day. Maybe someone can double check me on this but I believe the brain has the highest concentration of DHA in the body and it is still 12:1 or 16:1 of omega 6:omega 3. So I use that as my starting point. Taking 3g per day would allow up to 36-48 grams of Omega 6 fat per day to keep the ratio balanced. It may be simplistic, but I would rather use that yardstick than statements saying we need 1:1 ratio without any proof that I read on some websites. I believe Eskimos are around 10:1 per day as I recall and have the highest intake. Also I saw that people are posting that DHA oxidizes easily. Can it be regenerated through taking antioxidants? I imagine almost everyone here takes antioxidants with their fish oil? The fish oil I take has some gamma E in it, but that might not be enough to prevent it.

Edited by JKDC, 18 December 2010 - 05:05 AM.

[chris76]

8 x 540 mg EPA/DHA per day. Iam trying to fight depression with. So far so good. reports ive seen use high dose to treat depression.

[dhughesinc]

i use 4 capsules of Pharmax Ultra EPA/DHA Fish Oils
2 in the morn and 2 in the evening

Each capsule contains 395mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 265mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 720mg total omega 3 (provided as pure fish oil), 6mg natural mixed tocopherols