Fish oil = health risk?

[Anti-Bob]

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).

[jazer80]

good to see people doing thorough research before posting. like you said in the first point you emphasized, less than 10 grams daily is fine. with anything, taking too much is bad. i don't know anyone who's taking more than 10 fish pills daily. personally take about 5 - 7. any minute risks, especially when not even associated with recommended dosages, are far outweighed by the benefits of fish oils. definitely keep them in your diet

[manowar669]

Good post, should be a "must read" for those with fish oil questions. Another way to get fish oils is to eat the fish. One of my daily meals is 3.5oz of mackerel. According to my sources, that's about 1.7-1.9g Omega 3 (20g protein too). Then I take 4 fish oils caps with other meals.

[zaneblue]

I stumbled on this forum looking for references for testosterone and fish oil. I'm an author and a sex advice columnist. I'm writing a book on my Orgasmic Diet for women; it makes women incredibly orgasmic with very high libido and one of the main components is high-dose fish oil. I didn't know that bodybuilders took high-dose fish oil too, a fact that I find fascinating.

Anyhow, enough veering. I'm looking for scientific references showing that omega-3 fatty acids increase testosterone, or at least decrease SHBG. It seems to be common knowledge on bodybuilding sites, but I can't find any actual studies showing this. Anybody have any citations, or links to articles with citations?

[prof]

try asking Lyle McDonald

[zaneblue]

What's his user name or where can I find him?

[prof]

http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=148

[zaneblue]

Well this answers my question

http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=138

He sounds very knowledgeable. Testosterone is a key goal for bodybuilding; if omega-3 fatty acids actually improved testosterone or lowered SHBG he would have mentioned it in that article. So I'll skip that part in my book. Certainly omega-3 fatty acids still help with high dopamine and good blood circulation, both things women need for optimal sexual functioning (men too for that matter, but I'm selfishly trying to help my own gender first--you guys already have Viagra).

Now that that question is answered, erm, where do I find these fish-oil-guzzling bodybuilders in the Boston area? Do bodybuilders generally take fish oil, or is it just the bodybuilders on this board? I'm thinking someone with high testosterone from bodybuilding and high dopamine and good circulation from the fish oil might be able to keep up. *cough*

[jazer80]

zane, fishbody oils will help in creases libido, as will any other fats, provided you were not consuming enough to begin with. haven't heard of fishbody pills specifically making a difference by virtue of the fat's origin. as far as viagra goes, and i'm sure you know this, but people here may find it interesting. things like viagra, yohimbine, etc, do things to stimulate the vessels in our genitals. this causes excitement, and sexual attraction as a result. women, on the other hand, though experiencing stimulation similar to what men do while, for example, consuming yohimbine, do not show the increase in desire. this is thought to be primarily due to women's sexual attraction being of a more psychological nature than a physical one. food for thought. i can find references for my ramblings if you'd like

[zaneblue]

No, that's okay. When it comes to women's libido, there's nothing I don't know already. I have the doctor who helped with the (failed) clinical trials of Viagra in women supervising my study. Women don't need psychology, they need dopamine. Dopamine is elevated with the intake of fish oil.

I was just looking for a fish oil-testosterone connection. I suppose I could still show it indirectly, because if fish oil helps with increasing muscle by fooling around with the insulin receptors, doesn't increased muscle increase testosterone?

[JTyrell710]

no.. increased testosterone= increased muscle, but not necesarily the other way around.

[zaneblue]

Well I know there's a maximum to reach and you can't get beyond it with lifting (and even if you try with steroids your testes will shrink in the body's wise effort to keep you from turning into Mike Tyson), but for men and women with very low testosterone to begin with, wouldn't weight training help bring their testosterone up to normal?

[JTyrell710]

a good diet might, but from what i know- weight training is good for a variety of other things but there is no direct increase to testosterone level

[Scott S]

Women don't need psychology.

Oh?

[Holto]

sig worthy

[Holto]

and Zaney if you haven't allready look into Susan Weed

she's the natural expert in all things female

and Lorna Vanderhaege (sp)

both leaders in Alternative Medicine

[zaneblue]

Oh?

At least not any more than men do. They just need more dopamine.

BTW, I'm the natural expert on all things female at least when it comes to sex. I've got a big head too.

The website listed in my profile has my diet. Works better than anything currently out there for women, and I've had top female sexual dysfunction doctors tell me I'm a genius.

[jazer80]

isn't dopamine a little more on the emotinal/psychological side than the physical side?

[manowar669]

Women don't need psychology, they need dopamine.

Rohypnol works for me.








jk

[jazer80]

hahahhaha.
jk.... right.

[galileo]

The website listed in my profile has my diet. Works better than anything currently out there for women, and I've had top female sexual dysfunction doctors tell me I'm a genius.

I've read your diet. I stopped at the words "vagina muscles."

[NigriV]

zaneblue, is the picture of the girl on your homepage you?

[galileo]

Careful, this isn't a dating forum.

[NigriV]

she was looking for a fish oil guzzling, high test bodybuilder from Boston...i fit that description.