Fish oil supplements are widely available and the use of these products is considered to be associated with a range of health benefits (refer E bulletin Vol 38(1)). Two of the most important omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A 1g capsule of fish oil does not supply a 1g dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
For example a 1g capsule of Blackmores Fish Oil® contains only 300 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA). Omacor® contains 840 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per capsule. For lowering triglyceride, 2 -5g of the omega -3 fatty acids are needed. To achieve this would require the daily intake of four capsules of Omacor® daily or seven capsules of Blackmores Fish Oil®.
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A joint initiative of the Patient Services Section and the Drug and Therapeutics Information Service of the Pharmacy Department, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia. The RGH Pharmacy E-Bulletin is distributed in electronic format on a weekly basis, and aims to present concise, factual information on issues of current interest in therapeutics, drug safety and cost-effective use of medications.
Editor: Assoc. Prof. Chris Alderman, University of South Australia – Director of Pharmacy, RGH © Pharmacy Department, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia 5041.
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The health benefits of fish oil have been extensively studied since it was first hypothesised that the lower rates of heart disease found in Greenland Eskimos was associated with their consumption of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish. The n-3 fats found in fish include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The claimed health benefits of fish oil are too numerous to fully cover here, and many are yet to be supported by clear evidence at this stage. However there are some benefits of fish oil that have strong evidence and are now well recognised
Download the E-Bulletin below to see the evidence for the use of Fish Oil in various disease states.
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The 2009 RGH E-Bulletins are archived here.
If you like this post and what else you see on the blog please subscribe by RSS feed (the orange button) or by email. Visit my subscription page.
A joint initiative of the Patient Services Section and the Drug and Therapeutics Information Service of the Pharmacy Department, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia. The RGH Pharmacy E-Bulletin is distributed in electronic format on a weekly basis, and aims to present concise, factual information on issues of current interest in therapeutics, drug safety and cost-effective use of medications.
Editor: Assoc. Prof. Chris Alderman, University of South Australia – Director of Pharmacy, RGH © Pharmacy Department, Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, South Australia 5041.
Tagged as:
Coronary Heart Disease,
DHA,
docosahexaenoic acid,
eicosapentaenoic acid,
EPA,
fish oil,
Hypertriglyceridaemia,
omega-3,
RGH E-bulletin,
Rhueumatoid Arthiritis
