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Is It Possible To Suffer From A Fish Oil Overdose?
Everyone now, it seems, is taking fish oil supplements of some kind. Omega 3 fatty acids are the new aspirin, and for excellent reasons. Polyunsaturated Omega 3 fats are extremely good for your health, with few side effects. But can you have a fish oil overdose?
The value of fish oil to our health was first recognized when it was observed that the Eskimos, who eat a whole lot of fish, didn't seem to have a lot of the nasty diseases that inflict themselves on so many of us. And after study the link was established between good heart health and the intake of good healthy polyunsaturated Omega 3 fats like DHA and EPA.
I am unaware of any nasty side effects or overdose effects on the Eskimos from eating a whole lot of fish, in fact they were healthy. But now there are some issues from eating a lot of fish, and you can overdose on toxons from eating a lot of fish.
The FDA tells us that we shouldn't eat a lot of fish because it's contaminated with toxins like PCBs, mercury and dioxane. So don't eat a lot of fish. It's actually the contaminants that are the issue, not the fish. They are just accumulated by fish.
But fish oil supplements are cleaned of contaminants. Don't get me wrong here, not all are as clean as others, but generally you ought get less contamination from taking fish oil capsules than from eating fish. The very best Omega 3 capsules are totally clean.
Fish oil is a natural product with few side effects. However there are always people who believe that if 2 capsules are good for your heart then 20 capsules must be better on the "if some is good for you more is better" principle.
Always take your supplements at the recommended dosage. Omega 3 is no exception and apart from anything else taking a whole lot is probably wasting money.
For normally healthy people there is minimal risk of an Omega 3 overdose if you happen to take too many. You might get a little stomach upset, perhaps some fishy after taste or burps from poor quality supplements where the fish oil has oxidized. Perhaps a temporary rash. But all should go away.
But this doesn't always apply to people with pre existing medical conditions. Before taking supplements of any kind you should always consult your doctor and only take the fish oil supplements at the recommended dosage. For anyone with specific medical conditions there may be a risk of an overdose of fish oil specific to your medical condition if you take too much.
For example, Omega 3 fatty acids thin the blood. This is good and is one of the reasons why they are good for you and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. But for some people there may be condition specific reasons why this could cause problems. For some people this may result in some internal bleeding. It's unlikely to be serious but should always be checked out.
But for healthy people there are few side effects from Omega 3 supplements, and the risk of symptoms of fish oil overdose is slight. Unless you're taking massive amounts, and then who knows. Don't.
This doesn't apply to Cod Liver Oil though. Some people still believe that Cod Liver Oil is good for you like Grandma said. Omega 3 supplements shouldn't have Cod Liver Oil in them. It is sourced, as the name suggests, from the liver not the flesh. This is high in vitamins A and D and high levels of vitamins A and D may indeed, over time, result in overdose symptoms.
Generally fish oil supplements are extremely safe. Take them at the recommended dosage on the label, or consult a doctor for pre existing medical conditions and take them at your doctor's recommended dosage, and the risk of a fish oil overdose is slight indeed.
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