Posted by viridis on January 3, 2003, at 0:40:26
In reply to Fish oil , posted by Tepiaca on January 2, 2003, at 17:58:10
Hi Tepiaca,
It's great to hear that the fish oil helps. I'd be careful with fish liver oils though -- they're usually very high in vitamin A, which can be toxic (especially to your liver) at high doses. The fish oils that most people here take are from other parts of the fish.
If your oil has 22,610 IU of Vit. A per 100 mL, then 3 tablespoons would provide about 10,100 IU of Vitamin A (1 tablespoon = about 15 mL). This is about twice the US recommended daily allowance -- probably not really dangerous, but perhaps not a good idea on a long-term basis. I would try to find an oil from other parts of the fish. There are all sorts marketed in the US, most as capsules. You might try www.iherb.com for a selection (I'm not sure if they ship to Mexico, but probably do). I buy mine very cheaply at Costco (do they have that there?).
From an ecological/environmental point of view, I avoid shark products, because many species of sharks are seriously endangered. This is a personal choice, of course.
In any case, I'm sure you can find an inexpensive form that will be suitable.
Re: EPA: this is eicosapentanoic acid, the component that is thought to be most beneficial for adults. People seem to aim for at least 1000 mg (1g) for mental health benefits. Most of the capsule forms will list the amount of this substance.
Re: mercury: if the oil is refined properly (through a distillation-like process), most of the heavy metals should be removed.
Good luck -- I wouldn't replace medications with fish oil quite yet, but it does seem to be a very useful supplement for many people.
poster:viridis
thread:134049
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021230/msgs/134250.html