Hi,

Well, I just got my fish oil capsules. I went the expensive route and bought Carlson's fish oil capsules, as they are supposed to be the best that you can buy. I took my first two (500 mg of fish oils each) a couple of hours ago. Everything seems okay, but I am burping a little fishy taste. YUCK! I do NOT like fish!

So, I was planning on taking 3000 mg (6 capsules) per day, as I read that on a few sites. But now I've read on a few more sites that I should only need like 500-1000 mg per day to lower my triglyerides. To be honest, I'm kind of hoping I only have to take one or two per day rather than six.

So, anybody know for sure?

I appreciate any help here! :)

Yes, 3000mg of fish oil sounds about right if you need to lower triglycerides. If your triglycerides were already in the normal range, then I would say that 500-1000mg would be an adequate amount. Now, if you were a fish eater, and ate fish two or three times per week, then I would say that you may be able to get by with less.

[This message has been edited by ARIZONA73 (edited 02-02-2003).]

Hi Arizona,

Ugh! Yeah, I figured that I'd have to take that much. Oh well...this stuff isn't all that bad, really. :(

LOL. Oh well...I'm sure I'll get used to it! :)

Just for comparison, I take 2 2-g capsules daily and eat fish (usually salmon) twice per week. I have heard others describe a fishy burp taste, but neither my wife, who takes the same dose, nor I have experienced this.

I wish I could quantitate its role in lowering triglycerides and improving one's lipid panel in general. All I can really tell you is that fish and fish oil have been incorporated into my new lifestyle for the last 9 months. In that time I have went off of Tricor and watched my Triglycerides plummet from 108 mg/dL to 34 mg/dL for my last blood draw about 2 weeks ago. Then again, I have also lost 55 lbs of weight, exercise daily, consume much less carbs and keep my intake of saturated fat to a minimum.

Hi ubernier

It sure sounds like you are getting good results from your fish oil. I do know what you mean about not knowing if it's your weight loss or your fish oil or a combination of both. Either way, it sounds like you are really on the right track!

What brand of fish oil do you take? (if you don't mind me asking). From what I've read, there are only a few "good" brands out there...so I am always looking for people's opinions on certain brands.

Thanks.

One other question that I had...do you (arizona or ubierner) know if I can take all of my fish oil capsules at once? I take 6 1000 mg capsules a day.(but each capsule has only 500 mg of the Omega 3 fish oils). I am now taking 2 at each meal, but I'm burping a bit of fishy taste all day that way. Can I take them all at once? Or is that too much at one time?

Thanks.

Carbohydrate intake probably has more of an impact than any other factor on Triclyceride levels. Metabolic speaking, excess carbs are immediately turned into Trigs and then stored as fat. The majority of people who limit carb intake see an almost immediate reduction in Trigs. Saturated fat on the other hand has very little impact on Trigs but does help increase HDL levels.

I will have to look up the brand to be sure, but I think its called Zone 3, 2-g capsules, and the oil is distilled to remove impurities.

I take one in the morning with my vitamin cocktail, and one in the evening with dinner.

I can elaborate on something Hunter44 pointed out about a reduction in carbs. When I was eating excessive and sedentary, I managed to keep my weight above 220 lbs while eating almost no carbs. The recipe is not quite what they had in mind when they say "low carb diet." Anyway, with medication, my triglycerides had dropped from above 400 to near 100. Just before my heart attack,they had crept back up to just over 150, which was then treated by increasing my Tricor dosage. After changing the diet, and before I started my regimen of fish oil, I did have my triglycerides to 80-100 without Tricor.

Now I have them half of that, but I have continued to lose another 20 lbs, while increasing my activity from walking 60 min to running 30-40 min daily. Thats what makes it harder to quantitate and separate out fish oil benefit from exercise and weight loss. My diet has remained constant after heart attack, so the decrease should be attributed to the above mentioned factors.

Added note:I just found it--its called Zone Perfect Omega-3 Fish Oils.



[This message has been edited by ubernier (edited 02-03-2003).]

Hi ubernier,

Thanks again for your prompt response. And I tend to agree with you on the low carbs, I tried that route too...with no results.

I do get so afraid that I'm going to have a heart attack, but my doc assures me that I do NOT have heart disease. Although, she has never run any tests, except for the normal lipids. So I don't know how someone would be "diagnosed" with heart disease, except for having an attack I suppose.

My numbers are terrible, that's for sure. So I am hoping and praying that all this natural stuff will work. My numbers at my last testing were:

TC = 321
HDL = 58
LDL = 184
Tri = 393

Not pretty, I know.

Thanks for giving me the name of your Fish Oil tablets, I may give them a try. :)

TC = 321
HDL = 58
LDL = 184
Tri = 393

Miriam, keep in mind that when most people talk about recommended amounts they are talking about whole fish oil, not the specific omega 3 content. At least 90% of fish oil capsules consumed by consumers are 1 gram capsules with 30% omega3. That is 300 mg of omega 3 per 1 gram (1 capsule). If you took 6 of those a day, you would be taking 6 grams of fish oil and you would be getting 1.8 grams of omega 3. With the Carlson, you are now consuming 6 capsules and that equates to 3 grams of omega 3. To get 3 grams of omega 3 from he vast majority of fish oil products out there, you would have to take 10 fish oil capsules. That is a lot.

I think you might be unnecessarily overdoing the amount. Three grams of omega 3 daily is quite a lot more than the norm. As I say, most would have to consume 10 grams of fish oil per day (10 capsules) to get the amount you are getting in the six Carlson capsules. I think you could do with lessening the amount you take and only take it at night, at dinner. Just a thought.

Hi pcovers,

Hmmm, I thought that when folks talked about how much fish oil that they take, they would be only talking about the specific Omega 3's...like I am. Now that you worded it like that, I can see how folks could get confused. Like my Carlson's are 1000 mg capsules, so I am taking 6000 mg of Carlson's fish oil, but OF THAT 6000 mg, only 3000 mg of them is Omega 3's. Hmmm...good point though. The studies that I read on lowering numbers (trigs and tc) say that the subjects took 3000 mg of Omega 3's. Here is a clip of just one of the things that I read:

"Many double-blind trials have demonstrated that fish oils (also called fish-oil concentrates) containing EPA and DHA (mentioned above) lower TG levels. The amount of fish oil used in much of the research was an amount that provided 3,000 mg per day of omega-3 fatty acids. To calculate how much omega-3 fatty acid is contained in a fish-oil supplement, add together the amounts of EPA and DHA. For example, a typical 1,000-mg capsule of fish oil provides 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA (total omega-3 fatty acids = 300 mg). Ten of these capsules would contain 3,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as flaxseed oil, do not lower TGs. While flaxseed oil has other benefits, it should not be used for the purpose of reducing TGs.


So that's the kind of info I'm basing my 3000 mg of Omega 3 on. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to cut back, if nothing else, just for the costs! The supplements that I'm taking to combat this cholesterol problem are costing my about $160 per month! That is a LOT more than my old $15 per month copay for my statins was! But, as I've said, I am able to walk around (almost) pain free these days since tossing the statins in the garbage. As long as I'm able to afford this route, I'm going to give it a try. I certainly hope that my numbers do go down with all these natural rememdies! :)

Thanks!

Hello, I was just wondering if it wouldn't be easier to just eat "fatty" fish like salmon and tuna, instead of taking capsules? If you want to take capsules, that's ok. I'm just wondering if eating fish would be just as good. (I'm a seafood lover.)

------------------
Magpie

Originally posted by Magpiezoe:
Hello, I was just wondering if it wouldn't be easier to just eat "fatty" fish like salmon and tuna, instead of taking capsules? If you want to take capsules, that's ok. I'm just wondering if eating fish would be just as good. (I'm a seafood lover.)




Hi Magpiezoe,

Yes, certainly it would be easier to eat fish, but I cannot stand fish. I would rather eat just about ANYTHING else, including liver, than fish. The hair on my arms and the back of my neck actually stand up when I smell fish. YUCK!

I've always been this way. My mom tells me that when I was little, like under 3 years old, that every time she'd give me fish, I would immediately vomit! I don't think I'm allergic to it, I just cannot stand the taste. I don't eat any seafood at all.

Weird, I know! My husband loves seafood, as do most people, and cannot understand how I can hate it so much. :)

Miriam, I think you might have misunderstood ubernier, he does limit his carb intake as well as taking fish oil, and he is off the Tricor. Everything that I have read is that to get the necessary omega-3's you need about an ounce of it a day which is about 9 to 12 caps. Personally, I take six a day/flax seed oil, eat low carb and my trigs are 69, HDL is 73, and,I eat a lot of good fats. High carbohydrate intake correlates directly to high trigs, scientific basis. Most people expect immediate results when restricting carbs but in reality it takes 6 to 12 months for your body to adjust and show better numbers. Your numbers were very close to what mine were, now I have a complete diet change(for health not for weight) and have all desirable ratios. Good luck.

Hunter44, I entirely agree with what you just said. Fish oil can be beneficial, but it most certainly should include restrictions in carbohydrate intake. If people make the mistake of believing that fish oil will do the trick without limitting their carbohydrate intake, the results will not likely be all that impressive. A high carb intake can negate much of the positive effects that fish oil provides. Any advantages that are derived from supplements must be complemented by a proper diet.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hunter44:


Everything that I have read is that to get the necessary omega-3's you need about an ounce of it a day which is about 9 to 12 caps.
Hi hunter,

I think I've told you before in my past posts, but maybe I'm remembering wrong...I DID try the low carb plan, for almost one year. My numbers didn't change one bit. Honestly! I'm certainly happy that you are one of the people that found out that your bad numbers were due to your diet. But there are others of us out there who have this as a hereditary thing. I was so hoping that my numbers could be controlled through diet (low carb), but they can't be.

I don't believe I misunderstood ubierner. I too limit my carb intake (as well as calories and fat too). I don't eat "simple" carbs hardly ever anymore, etc, etc. No, I'm not as strict as Dr. Atkin's plan...I don't think that is healthy. You might think it is fine. That's ok too. :)

And where did you read that people should take an OUNCE of Omega 3's per day? I can't tell you how many hours I have spent reading and searching on the web to investigate this stuff, and I have never, ever seen amounts suggested at that high of an amount. The largest recommended amount to lower triglycerides using Omega 3 was 4000 mg (4 grams) per day. Do you realize that one ounce equals 28.35 grams??? My goodness...I'd be taking FIFTY SIX capsules per day of my Carlson's Omega 3 capsules. (each capsule has about 500 mg of Omega 3- 500 mg X 56 = 28 grams.)

If you could let me know where you read that, I'd be very interested in checking it out! I don't want to waste my time here, but everything I've read says that 3 g. per day is a very good amount to reduce triglycerides.

Are you taking Flax seed oil to lower your triglycerides? From my investigation, I've found that flax seed oil isn't beneficial to lower your numbers. Apparently they contain a "shorter string" of Omega 3's...not as good as the "longer strings" that Fish oil has. I don't pretend to understand all this stuff, just telling what I've read.

Thanks.

Hi again arizona,

I too agree that carbs must be limited. But everyone has a different idea about how low to limit carbs to. How many carbs per day do you feel a person should limit themselves to? (not taking Atkin's plan here, just looking for a reasonable number.)

Only reason I'm asking you is because you seem to know an awful lot about this stuff. I have appreciated your advice so far! :)

Thanks!

Miriam--Since everyone is different, appropriate carbohydrate intake can vary considerably from person to person, so I have no way of knowing what your ideal intake should be. Avoid starches and refined carbohydrates, those foods made with white flour or contain added sugar. These are the real villains, your very worst enemies. Candy, chips, snacks, cookies, cakes, pies, donuts are all taboo, and should be avoided. These foods can wreak some real havoc. These are high glycemic foods, and can cause your blood sugar to rise quickly. In response, your pancreas then excretes a good quantity of insulin to convert this excess sugar into a stored form of energy called glycogen. Although an essential body fuel, excess glycogen, unless quickly burned, can be converted into stored fat called triglycerides. So now you know which carbohydrates to stay away from. There are fruits and vegetables which have a low glycemic index, such as cherries, plums, grapefruit, lentils, kidney beans, pears, lima beans, chickpeas, apples, oranges, tomatoes, and grapes. These no doubt would be much better for you.

In the meantime, try to continue with the fish oil if you can. Pantethine can also be a valuable addition. I am sorry that your previous efforts of carbohydrate reduction have not yielded more positive results. But don't give up on carbohydrate restriction. The addition of the supplements can have a more pronounced impact if you continue with this approach. I wish you the best.

Hi arizona,

Thanks for your comments. Ok then, I'm on the right track with what I eat then. I do avoid the "goodies" like the plague. I'm not so strict as to not eat carrots, but I do avoid potatoes, etc. The bread that I eat is whole grain too. The majority of my diet consists of fruits and vegetables. I've never been much of a meat eater, but do eat chicken breast a few times per week. I do love dairy products, but only eat low fat cheese, egg beaters and fat free milk.

I have ordered the Pantethine that you recommended, and am also going to start the guggulipids too. (the Puritan's Pride ones).

Thanks again for your help! :)

Hunter (and Miriam) are both correct. I do limit my carbs now, instead of over-indulge or completely cut them out.

Miriam - I read it as I was doing research on omega 3's, either on one of the low carb boards or Mercola's site. I too didn't realize how much one should take. I also take borage oil to complement the flax, short string/long string 3's. By the way, low fat milk and cheeses can be high in carbs and trans fats, I really stay away from low fat foods, no milk. I have never seen anyone not benefit from a low carb plan in reducing trigs since they are directly related, posible I suppose, but I'm inclined to think insulin resistance.

somebody please help me no this real quick. The brand fish oil i recently bought, on the front it says 1000 MG. On the back under supplement Facts, it says

Natural Fish oil concentrate 2000 mg
EPA 360mg
DHA 240 mg

so... in one capsule of this brand of fish oil, how much fish oil am i getting?? 1000 mg, or 2000 mg, or 500??? Also in the suggested use it says to take 2 softgels 3x a day. meaning 6 tablets a day of fish oil. That's 6000 mg of fish oil. Thats a damn lot isnt it??

Originally posted by mingchi96:
somebody please help me no this real quick. The brand fish oil i recently bought, on the front it says 1000 MG. On the back under supplement Facts, it says

Natural Fish oil concentrate 2000 mg
EPA 360mg
DHA 240 mg

so... in one capsule of this brand of fish oil, how much fish oil am i getting?? 1000 mg, or 2000 mg, or 500??? Also in the suggested use it says to take 2 softgels 3x a day. meaning 6 tablets a day of fish oil. That's 6000 mg of fish oil. Thats a damn lot isnt it??

Hi mingchi96-

Ok, I'm not an expert here...but from everything I've read, it's not the TOTAL mg's of the fish oil that you are taking that matters, it is the total amounts of Omega 3's that you are taking. That is calculated like this:

To calculate how much omega-3 fatty acid is contained in a fish-oil supplement, add together the amounts of EPA and DHA. For example, a typical 1,000-mg capsule of fish oil provides 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA (total omega-3 fatty acids = 300 mg). Ten of these capsules would contain 3,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids.

So, from your example, your capsules contian 600 mg of Omega 3's...EPA 360mg PLUS DHA 240 mg.

Now, why are you taking these? If it is simply to enhance your health, then yes, 6 per day would be a HUGE amount. But if you are trying to lower your Triglycerides, taking 3000 mg of Omega 3's is what is recommended. So that would be 5 per day for your pills.

I am currently taking 6 capsules per day, which equals 3000 mg (or 3 grams) of Omega 3's per day. I have very high triglycerides, so that is why I am taking so much.

So far I've had zero problems with taking them and the rest of my pills that I'm taking. My next step I think is to try to take ALL of my 6 fish oil pills at once, say at bedtime. That way, I hope to keep my minor "fish burps" at a minimum. That is my only complaint in using these pills really.

I hope this helps a little...and if I'm wrong, then I'm sorry! This stuff IS very confusing! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/dizzy.gif

EDITED TO ADD:...after reading your post again, I have one more question...on the back of your bottle, where it says 2000 mg of fish oils...does that say PER SERVING? And is the serving size TWO CAPSULES? If that is the case, than in TWO capsules, you would be taking 600 mg of Omega 3's. So (if that is indeed the case) to get 3000 mg per day of Omega 3's you would have to take TEN capusles. (600 mg per TWO capsules times 5x per day = 3000 mg of Omega 3's)


[This message has been edited by Miriam (edited 02-09-2003).]

Im actually only 20 yrs old and I was just reading a book about brains and bout vitamins that I should take... etc. Im actually in very good health and I have no idea what the heck Triglycerides is... hahaah.. but I did catch something in the book which puts an emphasis on fish oil and the lack of it in most of America's diet and also vitamin E.

Now actually lookin gin the back, it does say serving size is 2 softgels, so I guess for me 4 tablets a day will be good right?? 1200 mg of omega 3 should be a healthy diet.
so far, I've added on my diet daily 1200 mg of omega 3, 1000 IU of vitamin E, 1000 mg of vitamin C, 500 MCG of vitamin B-12, and 200 mg of B-12. and also a daily multivitamin. That should cover everything i need, i think.