{"id":6127,"date":"2016-11-08T16:47:29","date_gmt":"2016-11-08T16:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nutrishield.com\/?p=6127"},"modified":"2021-06-24T12:22:52","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T11:22:52","slug":"how-much-omega-3-should-i-take","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.nutrishield.com\/?p=6127","title":{"rendered":"How much Omega 3 should I take?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/a>Despite the fact that millions of people take an Omega 3 supplement or cod liver oil, neither the UK nor the USA have an official recommended daily intake (RDA\/RNI) for these beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s despite the fact that Omega 3 has been linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, reduced risk of depression, improved asthma condition and improved mobility for arthritis sufferers.<\/p>\n

The two main beneficial nutrients (fatty acids) found in Omega 3 fish oil are EPA<\/strong> and DHA<\/strong> (respectively eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid).<\/p>\n

Health authorities in other countries, however, have<\/span> issued EPA\/DHA recommendations. These vary widely, reflecting the debate about how much is needed for optimal<\/span> health and disease prevention, rather than the minimum levels merely to avoid deficiency.<\/p>\n

Government health authority guidelines
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The EFSA<\/span> (European Food Safety Authority)<\/strong> has concluded that 250 mg a day combined EPA\/DHA<\/span> \u2018is an adequate intake for the maintenance of general cardiovascular health among healthy adults and children\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

EFSA has also approved a health claim that DHA \u201ccontributes to normal brain development\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

France<\/strong><\/span> recommends 500 milligrams<\/span> (mg) and Russia<\/strong><\/span> 1,300 mg<\/span> daily.<\/p>\n

In April 2016, the Chicago-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics<\/strong><\/span> endorsed a daily recommendation of 500 mg<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Can you eat enough oily fish to make up these recommendations?<\/h4>\n
\"How<\/a>
Baked Stuffed Mackerel from the Health Defence Cookbook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Only if you eat a lot!<\/p>\n

A 100g (4-ounce) serving of SALMON has about 1,200 – 1,500 mg of EPA\/DHA, canned SARDINES about 1,200 to 1,400 mg, and canned TUNA about 300 to 800 mg.<\/p>\n

So you would have to eat at least two servings of fish a week\u2014which is what the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends\u2014in order to average 250 mg a day, or 4 servings a week to achieve 500mg.<\/p>\n

But is 500mg a day really enough?<\/h4>\n

The European\u00a0Scientific Committee on Food\u00a0(ECF)<\/strong><\/span> recommends an average daily intake from all sources of 1,300mg for men and 1,100 for women<\/span>.<\/p>\n

And the\u00a0World Health Organization<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0recommends an Omega-3 fatty acid intake of 1\u20132% of energy. That would be the equivalent of 2,000 mg<\/span> of Omega 3 a day.<\/p>\n

The differences reflect the fact that most recommendations for omega-3 fatty acids are based on the amounts necessary to prevent overt deficiency. The WHO recommendations, however, were based on the idea of optimal<\/strong> cardiovascular health and neurodevelopment.<\/p>\n

A realistic dietary regime to achieve optimum levels<\/h4>\n

The average Briton or American averages an intake of as little as 150 mg of Omega 3 fish oil a day.<\/p>\n

A realistic aim for optimum health benefits would be:<\/p>\n