Anti-Bob
07-03-2004, 11:17 AM
Hi all,
After doing a thorough search of these forums, and of the web, it appears apparent that fish oil is a natural blood thinner.
On here I've read at least once that this is a bad thing, but other sites appear to claim it is beneficial, as it helps things like inflammation.
My question is, besides bleeding a little longer from cuts (which isn't that bad, right?), is blood thinning one should worry about for other reasons? I've heard a lot of good things about fish oil/caps, and this is the only thing that is holding me back from implementing them into my diet/routine. Any feedback is appreciated.
I know most people on here are aware of this stuff, but I just spent an hour studying fish oil/flax oil/omega-3's etc., on here and off, and here's a list of some of the key points to consider for people who are new to this, as I was (note: if you see something incorrect, please point it out. Thanks).
- In doses of <10g per day, fish oil will not cause negative reactions
- Fish oil comes in 1g caps, or in liquid form, usually as Cod Liver Oil.
- There are 3 Omega-3 fatty acids: EPA, DHA, and ALA.
- ALA needs to be converted to EPA/DHA, which is a very inefficient process.
- Fish oil is preferred over Flaxseed oil when aiming solely for Omega-3 sources because it has EPA/DHA’s, while Flaxseel oil has ALA’s which need to be converted.
- Only between 3-15% of ALA’s are converted to EPA/DHA’s.
- Flaxseed oil can be used to get both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. It has a great fat profile, though most people get enough Omega-6’s, and Omega-3 is better taken from Fish oil.
- A study conducted on Eskimos who consume high numbers of Omega-3’s concluded that they were much less likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and psoriasis.
- Omega-3’s help keep cholesterol levels low, stabilize irregular heart beat (arrhythmia), and reduce blood pressure.
- A healthy ratio of Omega-3 EFA’s to Omega-6 EFA’s is 2 to 1, with 1 to 1 being optimal.
- Fatty cold-water fish such as tuna, mackeral, and sardines, as well as buffalo, venison, and leafy green vegetables and walnuts are good sources of Omega-3’s.
- Fish oil capsules do not present the risk of mercury contamination like fish itself.
- Most people recommend 6-8g of fish oil per day.
- Fish caps don’t have any taste, but in some people they can cause indigestion if you are not used to them. This should go away however after using them for a period of time, perhaps no more than a week.
- You should get Cod Liver oil in a tinted glass bottle, as it will help protect from light, which will cause oxidation of the contents and make it spoil.
- Fish oil caps however can come in a plastic bottle as they come in a gelcap.
- Try to get fish oil products that have went through molecular distillation, or another such process that removes the heavy metals in fish.
- Omega-3’s are a form of polyunsaturated fats, one of the four basic types of fats the body derives from food (cholesterol, saturated fat, and monounsaturated fat are the others).
After doing a thorough search of these forums, and of the web, it appears apparent that fish oil is a natural blood thinner.
On here I've read at least once that this is a bad thing, but other sites appear to claim it is beneficial, as it helps things like inflammation.
My question is, besides bleeding a little longer from cuts (which isn't that bad, right?), is blood thinning one should worry about for other reasons? I've heard a lot of good things about fish oil/caps, and this is the only thing that is holding me back from implementing them into my diet/routine. Any feedback is appreciated.
I know most people on here are aware of this stuff, but I just spent an hour studying fish oil/flax oil/omega-3's etc., on here and off, and here's a list of some of the key points to consider for people who are new to this, as I was (note: if you see something incorrect, please point it out. Thanks).
- In doses of <10g per day, fish oil will not cause negative reactions
- Fish oil comes in 1g caps, or in liquid form, usually as Cod Liver Oil.
- There are 3 Omega-3 fatty acids: EPA, DHA, and ALA.
- ALA needs to be converted to EPA/DHA, which is a very inefficient process.
- Fish oil is preferred over Flaxseed oil when aiming solely for Omega-3 sources because it has EPA/DHA’s, while Flaxseel oil has ALA’s which need to be converted.
- Only between 3-15% of ALA’s are converted to EPA/DHA’s.
- Flaxseed oil can be used to get both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. It has a great fat profile, though most people get enough Omega-6’s, and Omega-3 is better taken from Fish oil.
- A study conducted on Eskimos who consume high numbers of Omega-3’s concluded that they were much less likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and psoriasis.
- Omega-3’s help keep cholesterol levels low, stabilize irregular heart beat (arrhythmia), and reduce blood pressure.
- A healthy ratio of Omega-3 EFA’s to Omega-6 EFA’s is 2 to 1, with 1 to 1 being optimal.
- Fatty cold-water fish such as tuna, mackeral, and sardines, as well as buffalo, venison, and leafy green vegetables and walnuts are good sources of Omega-3’s.
- Fish oil capsules do not present the risk of mercury contamination like fish itself.
- Most people recommend 6-8g of fish oil per day.
- Fish caps don’t have any taste, but in some people they can cause indigestion if you are not used to them. This should go away however after using them for a period of time, perhaps no more than a week.
- You should get Cod Liver oil in a tinted glass bottle, as it will help protect from light, which will cause oxidation of the contents and make it spoil.
- Fish oil caps however can come in a plastic bottle as they come in a gelcap.
- Try to get fish oil products that have went through molecular distillation, or another such process that removes the heavy metals in fish.
- Omega-3’s are a form of polyunsaturated fats, one of the four basic types of fats the body derives from food (cholesterol, saturated fat, and monounsaturated fat are the others).