Are You Paying Too Much for Your Omega-3 Supplements?
Posted by Evelyn Tribole MS RD at 7/29/2009 4:31 PM 
Categories: EPA, fish oil, Tools, DHA, Free Full Text Study, Omega-3 Fats
Tags: EPA fish oil supplements Tribole DHA omega-3
Categories: EPA, fish oil, Tools, DHA, Free Full Text Study, Omega-3 Fats
Tags: EPA fish oil supplements Tribole DHA omega-3
Q. As a big fan of your O-3 book, I'm wondering what your thoughts are about a fish oil supplementthat I recently purchased, which consist of 100% Norwegian fish oils. Two capsules contain 1600 milligrams of omega-3s: (700 mg of DHA, 700 mg of EPA, & 200 of other omega-3s).
A. Here's my bottom line on fish oil/omega-3 supplements: Aim to get the right dose for the best price. Here's the caveat—the supplement needs to be one you tolerate. For kids, that might mean choosing a more expensive supplement, if it's one they will take, such as the Coromega, which is a kid-friendly pudding-like supplement (I do not consult for, nor profit, from this company).
Your new supplement contains a nice dose of the key omega-3s (700 milligrams each of DHA and EPA, for a total of 1400 milligrams of these long chain omega-3 fatty acids). To put the dose into perspective, consider the following:
For healthy people, International guidelines [1] recommend aiming for at least 650 milligrams a day, from a combination of EPA + DHA. If you have heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends [2] getting at least 1000 milligrams/day. And the American Psychiatric Association recommends [3] at least 1000 milligrams/day if you have a mood or impulse disorder.
Lastly, I created a cost analysis of some popular fish oil supplements, and turned it into this interactive widget, which allows you to sort the columns. I chose 800 milligrams as the comparison dose, because it's about what you get in one prescription capsule of Lovaza. To get an idea of the cost effectiveness of yoursupplement, compare the price you paid to the brands listed below.
[1]Simopoulos, AP, Leaf A, and Salem N. Workshop on the Essentiality of and Recommended Dietary Intakes for Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.J Am Coll Nutr 1999 18: 487-489. (free full text)
[2] Kris-Etherton.Circulation. Circulation. 2002 Nov 19;106(21):2747-572002 Nov 19;106(21):2747-57.
[3]Freeman MP et al.Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;67(12):1954-67.
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A. Here's my bottom line on fish oil/omega-3 supplements: Aim to get the right dose for the best price. Here's the caveat—the supplement needs to be one you tolerate. For kids, that might mean choosing a more expensive supplement, if it's one they will take, such as the Coromega, which is a kid-friendly pudding-like supplement (I do not consult for, nor profit, from this company).
Your new supplement contains a nice dose of the key omega-3s (700 milligrams each of DHA and EPA, for a total of 1400 milligrams of these long chain omega-3 fatty acids). To put the dose into perspective, consider the following:
For healthy people, International guidelines [1] recommend aiming for at least 650 milligrams a day, from a combination of EPA + DHA. If you have heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends [2] getting at least 1000 milligrams/day. And the American Psychiatric Association recommends [3] at least 1000 milligrams/day if you have a mood or impulse disorder.
Lastly, I created a cost analysis of some popular fish oil supplements, and turned it into this interactive widget, which allows you to sort the columns. I chose 800 milligrams as the comparison dose, because it's about what you get in one prescription capsule of Lovaza. To get an idea of the cost effectiveness of yoursupplement, compare the price you paid to the brands listed below.
[1]Simopoulos, AP, Leaf A, and Salem N. Workshop on the Essentiality of and Recommended Dietary Intakes for Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.J Am Coll Nutr 1999 18: 487-489. (free full text)
[2] Kris-Etherton.Circulation. Circulation. 2002 Nov 19;106(21):2747-572002 Nov 19;106(21):2747-57.
[3]Freeman MP et al.Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;67(12):1954-67.
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