Are you looking to maximize your muscle building and fat loss? Or maybe you want to take the route to optimal health?

Omega 3 fish oil is a general health supplement, yet it is a crucial part and a foundation of any successful healthy living supplement stack.

Unlike most supplements on the market that does not offer as many benefits as fish oil does, there is a significant amount of evidence supporting the efficacy of fish oil.

Regardless of who you are, or what are your goals, it’s almost certain you will benefit from it.

Why is that?

Because Let’s face it-  you simply can’t expect to have optimal performance or muscle gains if your general health is not on point!

Fish oil explained 

Fish oil is a dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids — substances your body needs for many functions, from muscle activity to cell growth.

Omega-3 fatty acids are derived from food. They can’t be manufactured in the body.

You have probably heard of different acronyms like EPA, DHA, DPA, ALA, and SDA etc..

I can see how confusing it may seem and how this topic can turn into a massive headache for you, so for the purposes of this article and your own goals, I will directly address the only 3 of these acronyms that really matter.

The majority of scientific research focuses on 3 main kinds of omega-3 fatty acids:

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

These omega-3 fats are long-chained, usually found in fish, animal products etc..

They are known for supporting heart, brain and eye health at all stages of life. In fact, our heart, brain, and eyes contain the highest omega-3 content compared to other parts of the human body.

ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)

Is a short-chained fatty acid, found in various vegetable oils (e.g. flaxseed, canola, soybean, walnut), as well as in some green vegetables like spinach and kale.

ALA is a precursor to EPA and DHA.

Think of it as a family, where ALA is the “father” and EPA and DHA are his “children”

Your body cannot synthesize ALA, so for it to be effective, Your body converts it into EPA and then to DHA.

This conversion (which occurs primarily in the liver) is very limited, therefore, consuming EPA and DHA directly from foods and/or dietary supplements is the only practical way to increase levels of these fatty acids in the body.

Fish oil supplement is recommended as a source of these omega-3 fats as they are the cheapest and most common source of them.

Bottom line

There are three main types of omega-3 fats in the diet. EPA and DHA are found in seafood and fish, while ALA is mostly found in high-fat plant foods.

Now that were done with the biology crap, let’s get into what really matters for you…

Your average diet

Your average western diet (processed and snack foods-saturated and trans fats) is high in omega-6 fatty acids, yet we rarely consume any omega-3 fatty acids.

Although Omega-6s are needed for human health,  the average dieters are experiencing a significant imbalance of omega-6 to omega-3, which is not a good thing.

The ratio between the two is about 20:1 or more, while the ideal ratio is somewhere between 1:1 and 4:1!

This is why fish oil is recommended (to balance the ratio).

Some of the best fish oil supplement benefits:

Fights Depression and Anxiety

Studies have found that people who consume omega-3s regularly are less likely to be depressed (1, 2).

What’s more, when people with depression or anxiety start taking omega-3 supplements, their symptoms get better (3, 4, 5).

Can Improve Eye Health

DHA, a type of omega-3, is a major structural component of the brain and retina of the eye (6).

When you don’t get enough DHA, vision problems may arise (7, 8).

Interestingly, getting enough omega-3 has been linked to a reduced risk of muscular degeneration, one of the world’s leading causes of permanent eye damage and blindness (9, 10).

Lowers Blood Pressure

Fish oil has been shown to significantly lower both systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure.

Unlike many prescription drugs, it doesn’t negatively affect your cholesterol or come with a laundry list of serious side effects.

Promotes Bone Health

Omega-3s can improve bone strength and joint health. This may lead to a reduced risk of osteoporosis and arthritis.

Studies indicate that omega-3s can improve bone strength by increasing the amount of calcium in bones. This should lead to a reduced risk of osteoporosis (11, 12).

Can Improve Risk Factors For Heart Disease

Decades ago, researchers observed that fish-eating communities had very low rates of these diseases. This was later found to be partially due to omega-3 consumption (13,).

Since then, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have numerous benefits for heart health (14).

As for muscle building and performance, I will address this topic in future articles.

What about the dosage? Does it have any side effects?

As with many other nutrients, there is an upper limit to how much you should take.

According to the FDA, taking up to 2000 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day from supplements is safe.

The typical fish oil supplement contains between 300-600mg EPA/DHA per capsule (it varies between brands).

So if you have 500mg per capsule, you will need to take 4-6 capsules per day.

If you have any of the potential health risks, I highly encourage you to consult your doctor; or at least start with lower fish oil dosage (e.g. 500-1000mg EPA/DHA per day).

Your EPA/DHA intake should be calculated from both supplement and actual fish intake.

While fish oil’s benefits are certainly something to be excited about, it’s important to realize that there still exists the potential for side effects :

In high doses, omega-3s can cause blood thinning and excessive bleeding. Speak to your doctor if you have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinning medications.

Some omega-3 supplements, especially fish oil, can also cause digestive problems and unpleasant fish oil burps.

Make sure you read and follow the dosage instructions on your supplement bottle.

How do you pick a high-quality omega-3 supplement?

1. Identify how much EPA and DHA is included in each serving.

look for a fish oil supplement with at least 300mg of EPA/DHA in each capsule, anything less than that would mean you would have to take a large number of capsules (which is very annoying).

2. Purity and authenticity

Try to buy products that have either the GOED standard for purity or a “third party tested” stamp on them. That shows they are probably safe and actually contain what they say they do.

My own fish oil supplement recommendation:

I bought tons of omega 3 bottles during the years, and my best recommendation for you is NOW Super Omega EPA

Why do I recommend this product?

A. It meets the buying criteria I mentioned earlier.

B. It’s certified by the National Product Association for product quality.

C. Capsule content – an impressive 360mg of EPA and 240mg of DHA per capsule.

D. Longevity – A 240-capsule bottle lasts you a minimum of 2 full months (If you take 4 capsules per day).

E. Great “bang for your buck” At approx. $22 per bottle, or ~9¢ per capsule, it’s a great value for your money.

To sum up,

Although there is a lot of controversy in many nutritional cases, when it comes to fish oil there is almost a universal agreement about the tremendous health benefits and importance of omega-3 for you.

Supplementing with fish oil will enhance your overall health, which is key to pursuing your workouts over a longer period of time.

So If you don’t eat fatty fish or seafood often, then you should seriously consider taking an omega-3 supplement.

Additional References:

1. Jones PJH, Rideout T. Lipids, sterols, and their metabolites. In: Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, Tucker KL, Ziegler TR, eds. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 11th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2014.
2. Jones PJH, Papamandjaris AA. Lipids: cellular metabolism. In: Erdman JW, Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 10th ed. Washington, DC: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012:132-48.
3. Harris WS. Omega-3 fatty acids. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. London and New York: Informa Healthcare; 2010:577-86.
4. Stanley JC, Elsom RL, Calder PC, Griffin BA, Harris WS, Jebb SA, et al. UK Food Standards Agency workshop report: the effects of the dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio on cardiovascular health. Br J Nutr 2007;98:1305-10. [PubMed abstract]
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/omega-3-guide#section5
6. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3#section