The importance of fish oils

[dhuge67]

I'm sure most of us know about the importance of fish oils and the seemingly endless amount of benefits that they bring to general health, etc. We all know that as bodybuilders (or powerlifters, etc), we like fish oil because it can help to keep us lean (through insulin sensitivity), and it can ease joint pain. Well, I just wanted to be the angel on your shoulder and just remind you that while there are some excellent and very potent supplements out there, fish oil is not one to forget and leave off out of the shopping cart on your next purchase!

Also, a nice trick I used when I was cutting was the double-dosing of fish oils at lunch and dinner. In fact, I think fish oil was one of the biggest reasons for my leaning out and it kept my joints feeling good. It really is a miracle supplement and even though it's not as sexy as a lot of other stuff; it's not about the sexy, it's the efficacy! lol

I was talking to one of my good friends (an absolute beast, the guy is just enormously strong and incredibly lean) and he swears by fish oil as his supplement of choice. He told me that if he could chose one supplement besides protein, fish oil would definitely be the one. It stamps out inflammation, lets you get away with a cheat meal to a certain degree, and is pretty cheap.

So just a friendly reminder! Don't forget your freakin fish oil!
:wave:

 

[bLacKjAck.]

I was talking to one of my good friends (an absolute beast, the guy is just enormously strong and incredibly lean) and he swears by fish oil as his supplement of choice. He told me that if he could chose one supplement besides protein, fish oil would definitely be the one.

Preceded ONLY by a good healthy dose of test/tren.

 

[dhuge67]

Preceded ONLY by a good healthy dose of test/tren.

lol

Or deadlifts!!! :dl:

 

[Bull6125]

I take fish oil as well. I brought this up to an aspiring nutritionist, and they tried to inform me that fish oil is not as good as it seems. I have never heard anything contrary to Fish oil being purely beneficial at any dosage. They didn't go into detail and I wasn't interested in listening. Has anyone else ever heard that Fish oil can even be POTENTIALLY harmful?

 

[dhuge67]

I take fish oil as well. I brought this up to an aspiring nutritionist, and they tried to inform me that fish oil is not as good as it seems. I have never heard anything contrary to Fish oil being purely beneficial at any dosage. They didn't go into detail and I wasn't interested in listening. Has anyone else ever heard that Fish oil can even be POTENTIALLY harmful?

I think it all depends on the ratio of the omegas. I use Biotest's Flameout, and I know that **** is formulated well (and I know many other brands are as well). But to answer your question; I don't know exactly, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with an out-of-whack ratio of omega 6 and 3 fatty acids.

Maybe someone can shed some light on this?

 

[yeahright]

I take fish oil as well. I brought this up to an aspiring nutritionist, and they tried to inform me that fish oil is not as good as it seems. I have never heard anything contrary to Fish oil being purely beneficial at any dosage. They didn't go into detail and I wasn't interested in listening. Has anyone else ever heard that Fish oil can even be POTENTIALLY harmful?

Well, too much fish oil can cause health problems. It can block the normal blood clotting process and that in turn could lead to excessive bleeding. This could be dangerous after someone has ulcers, suffers a haemorrhagic stroke or experiences a traumatic injury.

 

[bLacKjAck.]

Well, too much fish oil can cause health problems. It can block the normal blood clotting process and that in turn could lead to excessive bleeding. This could be dangerous after someone has ulcers, suffers a haemorrhagic stroke or experiences a traumatic injury.

Very true, too much of any good thing can be harmful, whether physically or harmful to the wallet bc your just wasting

Its all about moderation.

 

[bpmartyr]

Possible side effects

Fish oil consumption is generally safe and well tolerated, with less adverse effects than other dietary oils [12]. Doses equivalent to three times the FDA maximum safe dosage (which is 3 g EPA/DHA per day) appear to be safe in rats [39]. The primary reported side effect is "fish burps" or a "fishy taste in the mouth," although this can depend on the product, and it is also commonly reported to only be a problem for the first few weeks of fish oil consumption. However there are a few more serious side effects that may be seen with high dose fish oil consumption which may warrant caution.

The first of these is that high doses of fish oil may decrease immune function (in opposition to lower intakes, which may enhance it) [40-42]. While this is beneficial in some autoimmune diseases it is not always desirable. For example, high amounts of fish oil may impair bacterial resistance [43]. Modest doses, in the range of 1-2 g of EPA/DHA daily, do not appear to have a negative impact on immune function over 6 months [40]. This effect may also be avoided with supplemental vitamin E [42]. A second potential problem is increased lipid peroxidation, resulting in an increase in oxidative stress [44-47]. However, this effect can also be remedied with vitamin E [9, 48].

Another possible side effect is an increase in LDL cholesterol and a decrease in HDL cholesterol [49-50]. The first of these effects can be seen with doses as low as 3.6 g/day in humans [49]. However, LDL increase is generally less than 5% [16], and fish oil on balance has a very positive impact on the cardiovascular system. Since fish oil thins the blood, it may also increase the likelihood of bleeding, but it does not appear to do this at lower doses. 2-5 grams a day, even when combined with other blood thinners such as aspirin, do not appear to increase bleeding time, but intake over 20 grams a day will increase bleeding times [16]. Other possible side effects of high or very high dose fish oil consumption reported in animals are increased liver and spleen weight, adverse effects on iron metabolism, and red blood cell deformities [45, 46, 50], but it is doubtful that these are relevant in moderate doses.

What all of this amounts to is, fish oil consumption in a healthy individual should probably be kept within a reasonable range, and additional supplementation with vitamin E is also a good choice. The amount of fish oil one takes should be dependent on both goals and the amount of EPA/DHA present in the fish oil. The optimal range for both safety and effectiveness in most healthy individuals is 1-4 g of EPA/DHA daily, and this amount shouldn't be exceeded without medical supervision. Most fish oils are standardized to 30% EPA/DHA, so this would be about 3-12 one gram caps daily. If the fish oil is standardized to a different amount the dosage should be changed accordingly, for example 2-8 caps of a 50% EPA/DHA product. Most of the benefits (other than possibly the change in body composition, for which there is presently little functional data) can be seen with 1-2 grams of EPA/DHA daily. Most fish oil capsules also contain vitamin E, but if they don't, a vitamin E supplement should be taken also.

 

[vince spider]

i prefer flax seed oil myself, more of a balance of omega 3,6, 9
compared to fish oil which is mainly omega 3

 

[bpmartyr]

i prefer flax seed oil myself, more of a balance of omega 3,6, 9
compared to fish oil which is mainly omega 3

But it is predominately ALNA and has little conversion to EPA and almost none to DHA.

Flaxseed oil is a good source of EFAs and a good way to change the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in the diet. It is associated with numerous health benefits. However, it is still debatable whether or not it will provide a benefit independent from EPA and DHA, which can be obtained in the diet through fish oil supplementation.

 

[acidred06]

Brands and actual amounts

What are the prefered brands that anyone suggests? Also, how much per day.

I have slightly elevated cholesterol and my good cholesterol is a little low. Any suggestions on how to fix these.

 

[bLacKjAck.]

i prefer flax seed oil myself, more of a balance of omega 3,6, 9
compared to fish oil which is mainly omega 3

Do you ever feel like watching the Notebook? Crying on your woman's shoulder? Long walks in the park?

I guess I just don't prefer flax

 

[dhuge67]

What are the prefered brands that anyone suggests? Also, how much per day.

I have slightly elevated cholesterol and my good cholesterol is a little low. Any suggestions on how to fix these.

Flameout by Biotest is generally regarded as top notch. Genuine Health makes a good product called o3mega, as well.

 

[poison]

Do you ever feel like watching the Notebook? Crying on your woman's shoulder? Long walks in the park?

I guess I just don't prefer flax

:lol::lol::icon_lol:

 

[Bull6125]

Well, too much fish oil can cause health problems. It can block the normal blood clotting process and that in turn could lead to excessive bleeding. This could be dangerous after someone has ulcers, suffers a haemorrhagic stroke or experiences a traumatic injury.

Thanks for the quick reply, hmm to much of a good thing huh? Thanks BPMartyr as well, very informative. Oh, I buy Nature's Made Fish/Flax oil, Kroger always has a 2 for 1 deal on it.

 

[gdbear65]

Most people get enough Omega 6 EFA's from their diet, so there's no need to supplement flax oil, which is also high in lignans - a major class of phytoestrogens.

Recommended daily amounts of EPA and DHA are, respectively, 600 - 800mg and 400 - 600mg.

One of the concerns regarding fish oil is the low quality cheap crap on the market. If it's not pharmaceutical grade, don't take it, as there could be lots of contaminants and it can go rancid more quickly. I prefer Nordic Naturals, NutraSea or Geniune Health bulk oil.

 

[motiv8er]

Anyone know if they test fish oils for mercuary?

 

[poison]

Spectrum Naturals is tested 100% free of contaminants. I use Equaline brand (CVS) and it says 'purified to remove metals/PCB's/etc' on it. 200 for $7.

 

[vince spider]

Do you ever feel like watching the Notebook? Crying on your woman's shoulder? Long walks in the park?

I guess I just don't prefer flax

hey nothing wrong with the notebook, that was an awesome movie:icon_lol:
but i dont see what that has to do with flaxseed oil or fishoil?:think:

 

[asianbabe]

I used to be of the opinion that fish oils were pretty important, but I now think I would rather eat up my fat calories instead ... avocados, mixed nuts, flaxseed, salmon and fatty fish..

 

[intv]

I started taking Carlson's lemon flavored liquid 3 months ago. I was tired of not knowing if the wal mart caps I was getting were degraded or not. The liquid is great - doesn't taste bad at all (lemon and rosemary), no fish burps (some lemony burps though, but that doesn't bother me) and I like taking a big dose w/out swallowing 10 caps. I take a tablespoon a day, equivalent to 2400mg EPA/1500mg DHA/30 IU vit E. I think it does help me get away with cheat meals some, but the most profound effect for me has been mood. Not sense-of-well being, or an artificial mood enhancement, more that after a month or so I realized I didn't have as many 'ups and downs' so to speak. I consider it a staple of my diet, not just a supplement. I have a recurring order of one bottle per month set up ($23/30 servings). Probably not as cheap as wal mart or costco caps, but it's fresh, tested and convenient.

What is everybody's take on high DHA vs. EPA? Biotest's flameout is high DHA, but you can find others, and even DHA alone.

 

[Werewolf]

hey nothing wrong with the notebook, that was an awesome movie:icon_lol:
but i dont see what that has to do with flaxseed oil or fishoil?:think:

It is flaxseed oil that is tied to lower testosterone level because it contains phytoestrogens. Mostly a problem in large doses and Soy is much worse.

 

[whatastud08]

I used to be of the opinion that fish oils were pretty important, but I now think I would rather eat up my fat calories instead ... avocados, mixed nuts, flaxseed, salmon and fatty fish..

I started doing the same and I think i stay generally leaner than when I was popping fish oils all the time.

 

[vince spider]

It is flaxseed oil that is tied to lower testosterone level because it contains phytoestrogens. Mostly a problem in large doses and Soy is much worse.

i wasnt aware of that, i will be switching to fish oil:thumbsup:

 

[Thrall]

There is only ONE thing that bothers me about fish oil...what the hell do they do to the fish to get it? I mean, whatever it is, it's GOTTA be nasty!:gore:

 

[eatingisfun]

There is only ONE thing that bothers me about fish oil...what the hell do they do to the fish to get it? I mean, whatever it is, it's GOTTA be nasty!:gore:

I saw it on TV once and yes it is really pretty disgusting. They use the leftover parts of the fish and boil it into a mush. Then the oil floats to the surface and they collect it. What happens after that depends on the grade of oil you buy. That's generally why you would want to get the highest purity you can.

 

[acidred06]

Thanks everyone. I have been taking omegas for years and recently switch to fish/salmon oils from NOW. There a good price and IMO I like NOW products and trust most of there lables.

I take fish/omega oils for the hopes of improving health. Never felt any changes and not sure if they have ever really benefited me or not but I take them in case some of the articles and info I read on there health benefits are true.

I have high BP, 130/95 and take 10mg lisinopril.
Slightly elevated CHOL, 211, bad chol. 138. Trying to stay off zocu if I can so thats kinda why I started this post to find out info and mabe some true hard faxs on doeseges.

Funny question on the what they do with the fish. They milk there junk with tiny hand and realesae them back into the wild. Fish oil is actually fish spunk. LOL, they just extract the oils from the salmon and then the meat is sold. The meat still contain its share of healthy oils.

 

[dhuge67]

One of the best ways I've found to lose fat is to take 6 caps of Flameout a day (3 at lunch, 3 with dinner), and Hot Rox Extreme. I definitely lean out much faster when I supplement with Flameout, which I should be doing ALL THE TIME.

Here's a good article about the importance of fish oils..

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=169lean2