Fish oil - how much and when?

[Chillicat]

I know lots of you take fish oil or flaxseed oil, and I was wondering if you can give me some advice on how much I should be taking and when I should be taking it. I've bought some fish oil (can't afford flaxseed oil), so appreciate some advice.

My diet is currently more or less this:

1. Oats, yogurt or milk and protein powder

2. Yogurt and protein powder

3. Pre-workout protein shake

4. Tuna and chickpea wrap

5. Something with protein - either a shake, yogurt and PP, or peanut butter on ryvitas depending on how hungry I am and what I feel like

6. Dinner - normally something meaty with vege carbs but minimal starchy carbs

7. Bedtime snack - This is a bit like meal 5 and depends on what I have remembered to buy at supermarket that week, but is generally either some cottage cheese or a peanut butter wrap, or a protein shake, or last night I had some of Vee's lovely sludge.

So where should I include fish oil in that eating plan?

Thanks in advance.

[Monarchking]

I have no idea. :oops: I usaly take fish oil with breakfast, mid day, and evening meals for a total of 3-6 caps a day.

i beleive fish oil is the ticket to ride. Can any1 confirm that its better or worse than flax oil? or they both got difrent pros n cons.

[rose]

There are different types of omega-3 fatty acids.

My understanding is that fish oil contains EPA and DHA whereas flax oil contains ALA, which your body eventually converts to EPA then DHA. Some consider the conversion to be less efficient and therefore inferior.

Oil supplements are best taken with a fatty meal/food, e.g. fish, meat, nut butter, etc

[biggurl27]

I take the blackmores fish oil/glucossomine which can be taken 1 capsule 3 times a day with meals, however I usually only have in the morning and night :grin:

Active ingredients per capsule

Glucosamine sulfate sodium chloride complex

Equiv. to glucosamine sulfate 500 mg 650 mg

Fish Oil (natural)

Containing omega-3 marine triglycerides 150 mg as:

Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 90 mg

Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 60 mg

[goinhard]

Anytime a bit after post workout shake, take 10-20 fish oil capsules a day.

Pak n Save and the like have 200 1000mg capsules for about $10.

[alphagirl]

I have 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil a day, I split this between lunch and dinner (M3 + M5). I make a nice dressing with some quality balsamic vinegar and wholegrain mustard and spread over my veges. Yummy. I get the benefits of the fish oil and a nice dressing over the endless veges I have to eat day in day out. Hope that helps.

[Mr_Krabs]

Anyone know what the approx. caloric value is on a 1000mg fish oil cap?

Edit: Google said 9 cal if anyone else was interested...

[rose]

Aye Mr Krabs, that's what my sources say too 8)

Essentially it's one gram of fat, one fifth of it saturated. Just eat fish! :pfft:

(Oh shut up Rose :roll: )

[drizzt]

Pak n Save and the like have 200 1000mg capsules for about $10.

:nod: Yep, picked myself up a 200 caps tub this afternoon for about $10 (from Woolworths incidentally)

On that note, what is the difference between the $10 ones, and the ones that are more than 3x the cost? I couldn't see anything immediately obvious...

[tonyb]

I have two desert spoons of flaxseed oil in the morning & another two before bed. I also pop fish oil pills whenever I can remember, which is not that often. I feel like an old person sometimes, so many pills to take and trying to remember when.

[Chillicat]

Anytime a bit after post workout shake, take 10-20 fish oil capsules a day.

:shock: that many? Wow!

[rose]

what is the difference between the $10 ones, and the ones that are more than 3x the cost?

Brand name.

[teamfatboy]

Yep, I'm on 10x 1000mg (ergo 10g) of flaxseed oil, in capsules, with the mid-afternoon meal (when I remember them!) as part of the 'fats' component of the diet.

[GreekAdonis]

I go with extra virgin olive oil. Greek stuff of course.

Flax seed oil and fish oil are full of omega-3's but extra virgin olive oil also has omega-6's and omega-9's.

I have it before a meal so I dont get an oily aftertaste.

[Mr_Krabs]

On that note, what is the difference between the $10 ones, and the ones that are more than 3x the cost? I couldn't see anything immediately obvious...

Check the omega ratios some companies use different extraction methods altering these to enrich one, otherwise as rose said just paying for the brand/label :?

[rose]

Check the omega ratios some companies use different extraction methods altering these to enrich one, otherwise as rose said just paying for the brand/label

Re supermarkets brands, I checked Red Seal ($13) and Blackmores ($30+?). Nothing special about the fish. No difference in the amount of capsules or the omega ratios. Just a considerably heftier pricetag.

Might be a difference between health food shop brands.

[Bazza]

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 softgel

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amount per Serving

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Calories 9 Calories from Fat 9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 1g 2%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Sodium 0mg 0%

Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Protein 0%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vitamin E 33%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 100.0% Carbs 0.0%

Protein 0.0%

I found this..so seems to agree on the 9 cals per cap

[goinhard]

Fish oil is fat, and fats are approximately 9 calories a gram.

Usually the more expensive ones are enteric coated which helps with the fish oil burps.

[Mr_Krabs]

Mmmm fish oil burbs, I can almost imagine that Ive just eaten fish and chips :pfft:

[Gym rat]

I go with extra virgin olive oil. Greek stuff of course.

Flax seed oil and fish oil are full of omega-3's but extra virgin olive oil also has omega-6's and omega-9's.

I have it before a meal so I dont get an oily aftertaste.

How much extra virgin olive oil do you each day GA?