People purchase fish oils supps without actually looking to see if it's a good deal. As with any supps, you have to compare actual labels. Quality issues not withstanding, do you actually look at the % of active lipids? What's the better deal: A product that is 30% active lipids for $20 for 100 1g caps vs say a product that is 40% active lipids containing the same 100 1g caps for $25? clearly, the latter product is the better deal. Two, are you looking at the % of active lipids to make sure you are taking enough to have an effect? This is right out of my Fat Loss Revealed ebook:
Studies have used doses that are quite variable, so no exact dose is known in terms of optimal effects on fat loss/bodycomp, but 6 - 10 g/day (assuming 30% EPA + DHA) is a starting point. So, a 1000mg (1g) softgell cap of fish oil, would be approximately 180mg of EPA and 120mg of DHA, assuming the general rule of 30% total active lipids. Fish oil comes as 60/40 EPA to DHA.
I would recommend at least approximately 6g (6 1000mg caps) fish oils giving you a total of 1800mg of active lipids per day assuming 30% of 6g is EPA and DHA, but you must read the labels for exact numbers. Looking at specific brands for example:
Puritan's Pride uses a 1200mg cap, each containing 360mg total active lipids. You would need 5 caps to = 1800mg total active lipids.
Looking at The Life Extension Foundation: They use a 1000mg cap that gives 600mg total active lipids per cap, which means you would need 3 caps to equal the recommended 1800mg above.
Looking at Nordic Naturals, they use a 1000mg cap that gives a total of 275mg of active lipids per cap, so you will need 6-7 caps per day
Looking at Carlson's, they use a 1000mg cap that gives a total of 320mg of active Omega-3 lipids, so you would need 5-6 caps of this product.
Read your labels people!
- Will
