fish and fish oil

[Davide42]

Hi, i have just another question about omega 3s (i swear it’s the last one ).
In a previous post you said that you wouldn’t recommend a fish oil supplement. I am
aware of the shakiness of supporting evidence in the scientific literature in favor of fish oil, however it is still officially recommended to eat at least 250 mg of EPA+DHA daily (SINU, italian society of human nutrition: http://www.sinu.it/html/pag/06-LIPIDI.asp). We are not talking about mega doses of EPA+DHA that should supposedly make you immortal, we are talking about a micronutrient that your body does need in small doses to function.
So, since i don’t like fish, i think i should take (small doses) of fish oil supplements every day. Am i wrong?
Also: let’s say that i do eat 2 portions of salmon weekly, with 1g of EPA+DHA for each portion... am i good for the whole week? Do EPA and DHA get stored in the body, so that one can eat big doses once and be done for a couple of days? Thanks.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

You do not need to take fish oil supplements for any reason.

[Davide42]

could you please explain why? are the nutrional italian guidelines outdated? shouldn’t we eat 250 mg of EPA and DHA daily?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

could you please explain why? are the nutrional italian guidelines outdated? shouldn’t we eat 250 mg of EPA and DHA daily?

You get more than this amount from regular foods and there's no required supplementation.

[Rob Waskis]

You had mentioned in the other thread (now closed) that supplemental omega 3s do nothing outside of a small portion of the population. Is there a short answer as to what this population is? Also, is the statement about not needing supplemental omega 3s directed exclusively at adults? In other words, should children be taking supplemental omega 3s?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

You had mentioned in the other thread (now closed) that supplemental omega 3s do nothing outside of a small portion of the population. Is there a short answer as to what this population is? Also, is the statement about not needing supplemental omega 3s directed exclusively at adults? In other words, should children be taking supplemental omega 3s?

Pregnant women, asthmatics, rheumatoid arthritis, and those with high triglycerides.

[Mugflub]

I'm really surprised to hear this. I thought there was pretty overwhelming evidence showing the benefits of Omega-3 supplementation.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I'm really surprised to hear this. I thought there was pretty overwhelming evidence showing the benefits of Omega-3 supplementation.

Quite the contrary, unfortunately.

[Davide42]

You get more than this amount from regular foods and there's no required supplementation.

Thank you very much. There is just a small part of my question that you did not answer: to my understanding, fat-soluble vitamins and Omega 3s can be stored in the body, so i don’t really need to eat a certain amount of those nutrients everyday, as long as — by the end of the week (approximately) — i consumed the prescribed amount of that micronutrient... is this reasoning correct? thanks again.

[Mugflub]

Well, on the bright side, you just saved me about $20 a month that I can now spend on peanut butter and jelly.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Well, on the bright side, you just saved me about $20 a month that I can now spend on peanut butter and jelly.

That IS a win!