Fish oil

[Hooverville]

If you're getting all the Omega-3's you need from your diet, I see no reason why fish oil is necessary. Debatable whether it would lead to any additional and/or visible results. There are however lots of benefits to fish oil that have been recorded, but it isn't clear whether this was in addition to a complete diet.

I personally take 2400 mg per day, along with 2000 IU vitamin D, and I've found I feel better and stay a bit leaner when I do. I am vitamin D deficient, so this probably has a lot to do with it. BB.com has articles about fish oil and testosterone production in general, you might consider checking them out.

Your Vitamin D deficient and you only take 2000 units? You must live in a place where the golden orb shows itself. 10000 units a day in the winter here. Our pediatrician has all our children in our extended family on 800. My wife prescribes 50000 to folks with deficiencies on the routine.

And I don't put a lot of faith in anything written on bb.com. Sorry.

[Fishman15]

I took the opposite route with the now 500 DHA/ 250 EHA. I like taking only 1 cap, and its the DHA Im really after anyway.

180 caps for $21ish at bb store.

That's the same one I get EJ. 1 cap in the morning and 1 at night. 2g total fish oil and 1000 EPA/ 500 DHA per day. I figure that and my daily multis are cheap insurance whether they are really needed or not...

[Plateauplower]

Thanks ID for posting that about NOW Fishoil. I trust the brand pretty well overall. I never really take the time to do the math on that kind of stuff. Just ordered the NOW lower dose 500 bottle for $20. Guess I will be doubling down in my normal consumption to get the same amount, but saving a few bucks. Hope they don't give me the nasty fish breath burps...

[Chilliez]

6 grams of fish oil itself. I take NOW brand but decided against the higher epa/dha concentrated formulas. The cost/g still ends up higher. I just figured I would take more

The one I take is 180/120 so actual intake is 1080/720

Do you take it all in one hit and if so what do you find to be the best time of day to take it for yourself?

I was generally taking a 4 gram hit first thing in the morning with brekkie.

[so-tex]

Your Vitamin D deficient and you only take 2000 units? You must live in a place where the golden orb shows itself. 10000 units a day in the winter here. Our pediatrician has all our children in our extended family on 800. My wife prescribes 50000 to folks with deficiencies on the routine.

And I don't put a lot of faith in anything written on bb.com. Sorry.

surely she doesn't prescribe 50,000 units long term?
anyway, I take 5,000 units a day for insurance.
I get plenty of sun year around and consume quite a bit of dairy.
The last time I had bloodwork done, I requested they test for vitamin D and I was on the upper end.
My Dr. told me deficiency was more common in dark skin people who live above the equator.

[so-tex]

That's the same one I get EJ. 1 cap in the morning and 1 at night. 2g total fish oil and 1000 EPA/ 500 DHA per day. I figure that and my daily multis are cheap insurance whether they are really needed or not...

I think you got the DHA/EPA bass ackwards Fishdude.
Anyway, I read an article somewhere that said men benefited more from DHA.
Having said that, this looks like a solid product I will be ordering.

[blue9steel]

It's theoretically possible to get it from regular food, but it would be extremely difficult given modern food raising practices and most people's diet, even on this site. If you read through pubmed, EFAs are pretty much the bees knees. I think it's worth it but you'll have to make your own decision.

I'm not big on supplements but I do use a few:

Creatine
Fish Oil
Green Tea Extract (only when cutting)
Multi-Vitamin (With a few extras since none of the basic ones had the mix I wanted)
Caffeine (I was already drinking coffee, so no change required)

I don't currenly use Capsaicin, but it has some science behind it for short acute dosages in already lean subjects.

Everything else is either illegal, has unwanted side effects or insufficient science to show that it works.

[Hooverville]

surely she doesn't prescribe 50,000 units long term?
anyway, I take 5,000 units a day for insurance.
I get plenty of sun year around and consume quite a bit of dairy.
The last time I had bloodwork done, I requested they test for vitamin D and I was on the upper end.
My Dr. told me deficiency was more common in dark skin people who live above the equator.

For some of her patients that are chronic she does. It's not daily, once a week I believe. Some of the diabetics that she sees would really make you weep when you realize their quality of life.

-almost never leave the house
-horrid swelling issues
-completely dependent on meds
-complete lack of understanding why they got into the state they are in in the first place (type 2)
-not many willing to change
-overweight to morbidity

Then there are the folks who have completely exhausted their ability to produce hormones endogenously. And are now seeking test or or other steroids to compensate for their years of reliance on anabolics. No erectile function...at all. Bitch tits. Loose skin. Bad disposition.

She loves those guys. They may look like gods when they are 20-40. But once the body is done, it's done.

TLDR

Don't get fat and drink soda all day

Don't juice

[clive]

I'm a great fan of oily fish especially Mackerel, I try to get some 3 times a week and I'm convinced it's kept my joints in good condition. I've never taken omega-3 in supplement form, I've always prefered to get it from my food intake.

[11201ny]

Fish oil is probably the number one supplement you can take. Huge benefits from anti-inflammatory, fat loss, mental health, heart health....on and on and on....

I dont think you will "feel" it, but you may as it supports joint health.

FWIW, I take 6 grams a day. No brainier.

Go to pubmed.com and type in fish oil. Look at the research and then you decide.

Yup

[mtdman]

My doctor is always on my about my HDL cholesterol not being high enough. Does fish oil help with that?

[so-tex]

My doctor is always on my about my HDL cholesterol not being high enough. Does fish oil help with that?

FWIW, my doctor told me fish oil doesn't lower cholesterol. It does lower triglycerides.
IDK, my levels are normal.

[mtdman]

FWIW, my doctor told me fish oil doesn't lower cholesterol. It does lower triglycerides.
IDK, my levels are normal.

I'm trying to raise the hdl, or good cholesterol. The bad stuff isn't an issue.

[alewisdvm]

I'm trying to raise the hdl, or good cholesterol. The bad stuff isn't an issue.

I agree. I don't believe fish oil does much for lowering total cholesterol and really has minimal if any impact on LDL. However, I definitely agree with its impact on triglycerides. Mine dropped several hundred points while I was taking Life Extensions fish oil product. I think regular exercise and proper diet, especially for anyone who's exercise and diet sucks will have a large impact on HDL. Mine jumped over 20 points as a direct result of change in routine. From what I understand, the doctors actually have far less concern about how high the LDL is, and far more concern about wanting high HDL.

[so-tex]

I'm trying to raise the hdl, or good cholesterol. The bad stuff isn't an issue.

I totally understand and it must be frustrating.
Bad/high cholesterol is/can inherited in most cases.
High doses of Niacin are one of the ways to lower it if you're willing to tolerate the discomforts associated that comes with it.

[mtdman]

I don't actually have an overall high cholesterol number. The bad or LDL is always in line, not high. The HDL, or good cholesterol, is right around where it should be also but they always tell me I need to get that number higher. The triglycerides, they always tell me to lower that as well. If the fish oil helps the tris, great. I've been trying to take several doses a day. I know that the polyunsaturated fats and the plant fats help to raise HDL, but I have a hard time eating enough of those to raise HDL.

Honestly, I don't know whether or not to care about the set numbers they have any more. My doctors always say I have great blood pressure, it's usually in the 110-120/80 ish range. Then the insurance companies started having their screenings and suddenly those numbers are in the 'danger zone'. WTF?

[ElrondHubbard]

Used to be above 130 was the danger zone. Then they lowered it to 120/85. Now they're trying to make you panic in the 1teens/80? I do be suspicious.