Is Taking a High Dose of Fish Oil Dangerous?
By Danny Lewis
If you have just started taking fish oil you may believe that you are having a too high dose fish oil and maybe slightly concerned that there could be adverse side effects from doing so. And to be frank, it is a little confusing to know what is a high dose fish oil and what is not because really there is no set in stone recommendation of the amount to take.
There is a general consensus that the best amount to take is around about one gram a day, which would normally be two capsules depending on the brand you use, and this is roughly the equivalent of one portion of oily fish. If you are giving it to your child, then half of that amount should suffice. If you are taking it to help with bowel complaints then 3 to 5 grams a day is recommended, however for some people this may be a too high dose fish oil, because it is thought that some people consuming over three grams of fish oil on a daily basis can be at a higher risk of suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke, which can be deadly.
The reality though is that having high dose fish oil is only going to cause you a problem if you’re using cheap products. The reason I say that is because not all supplements are equal and those at the cheaper end of the range generally tend to have inferior oil in them: this inferior oil can in fact be bad for your health.
For instance, it is possible that they may have been made with rancid fish; this is quite often the case with a lot of the cheaper capsules because the fish that is bought to produce them comes from suppliers who have had their vessels at sea for a long period of time, and the only way they are able stay at sea is by freezing the fish when they catch it. You may think this is safe enough procedure, however when the fish is frozen it becomes rancid, and the problem this gives you when you consume it is not only the oily fish burps that you get after having consumed the rancid contents of the supplement, but also the fact that the fish oil is oxidized which is going to release free radicals in your body which is not good.
If that wasn’t bad enough though, the oil can also be polluted. The reason for this is fish like salmon and tuna that are often used to create these kind of tablets come from heavily trafficked seas which means they contain pollutants such as mercury, lead and PCBs. This can be removed from them by using a purification process known as molecular distillation, unfortunately not all producers use this process as it is expensive, and because the industry is not heavily regulated they can get away with not doing it.
So as you can see, the only real problem with having a high dose fish oil really comes down to manufacturers supplying you with substandard supplements. Using supplements made from fresh fish oil that has been molecularly distilled does cost a little bit more it is definitely worth it because of all the health benefits associated with it.
So before you spend a penny on any fish oil supplements, make sure you visit my website first because not only will I show you some of the health benefits to be had but also show you where to source good quality fish oil supplements. You can find the site at http://best-supplements.info
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