Do I need to take supplements of omega 3? This is a common question that I usually get
from my patients with chronic pain. Actually, many of them already come to me taking fish oil
supplements because they heard it was good for their joint pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.
Do they really need to have fish oil supplements that contain omega 3?
I’ll answer this and other questions in the video today.
So, let’s talk about OMEGA 3 today
Our body does not produce our own omega 3 fatty acids, that is why they are called essential
fatty acids, we only obtain them from diet. When we say omega 3, we are talking about a
type of fat that is found in cold water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines.
There are smaller quantities of omega 3 in seafood like shrimps, oysters, and lobster.
The main types of omega 3 fatty acids that our bodies need are EPA and DHA,
you don’t need to learn how to pronounce these complicated names.
These two types of omega 3 are what is found in fish and seafood.
An adult only needs two portions of these fish per week to get a good supply of EPA and DHA.
For people who don’t like fish or are vegan, there are plant oils that contain omega 3,
a different kind of omega 3 called ALA. The plants that contain ALA are flaxseed,
chia seeds, soybean, canola oils, walnuts and dark green vegetables like kale and broccoli.
ALA has to be converted to EPA and DHA in our body, but only 5
to 15% is transformed into a usable animal form, so, this mean that the person has to
eat a lot of ALA to have enough EPA and DHA. There are also fortified foods with DHA and
other omega-3s, like eggs, yogurt, milk and soy beverages. So, read the labels.
Now, why are omega-3 fatty acids important? Omega 3 and Omega 6
are polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs. Omega 6 fatty acids are also essential fatty
acids, we need to ingest them. They are important for our
immune system and blood clotting. There are four types of omega-6:
Linoleic acid (LA) Arachidonic Acid (ARA)
Gamma linoleic (GLA) Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
Omega 6 are found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, soybeans, corn, sunflower oils, nuts, and seeds.
Omega 3 are anti-inflammatory while Omega 6 are pro-inflammatory.
Well, we do need to have some inflammation in our body, otherwise we cannot fight virus, bacterial,
fungus infections, or kill cancer cells that develop and grow in our body every day.
However, when you have an imbalance in your diet, you eat more
pro-inflammatory than anti-inflammatory fatty acids, there is a tendency to maintain an
inflammation in the body that is not healthy. And if you don’t have enough omega-3
to counterbalance the omega-6, then you will always be in this chronic state of inflammation.
In North America people eat much more omega-6 in their diet than omega-3.
The proportion of omega 6 to omega 3 in North America is 25 to 1.
Why is that? Well, the shelf life of omega-3 is very small. Food rich in omega-6 last
week or months, they are more stable. So, next time you go grocery shopping,
look for the amount of omega-6 contained in processed foods.
In people with inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, the goal is 1 to 1.
In healthy adults, without chronic inflammation, a good goal is 4 to 1.
Remember, the goal is not to eliminate omega-6 from our diet, we need them too.
The goal should be to increase the amount of omega-3 to maintain a healthy balance.
For people with chronic pain, here are some benefits of a rich in omega-3 diet:
It reduces the need to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
like ibuprofen or naproxen. Less post-operatory pain levels
Improves symptoms in painful diabetic neuropathy Reduces the use of antidepressants
Decreases tolerance to morphine Less symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis
Less menstrual cramps, specially when taken with vitamin E.
Better function in people with knee osteoarthritis Improves symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease
That is why it is important to watch what we eat and make conscious decisions about
choosing a more balanced anti-inflammatory diet. Well, this type of inflammation that I am talking
about is not visible. It is not like the swelling and pain that you feel when you have an inflamed
tooth. We are talking about micro inflammation in the blood vessels.
There are other health problems related to deficiency of omega-3
fatty acids. It can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
There is some suggestion that it is also implicated in dementia, depression and
macular degeneration, but the studies in these areas are still inconclusive.
I usually don’t recommend supplements,
I prefer that patients obtain the nutrients they need from a balanced diet.
However, if you choose to take fish oil supplements: take at least 1,000 mg/day
For pain management, choose supplements with 1.5 to 1 EPA:DHA. So, more EPA than DHA
To avoid fish burps, which is the fishy taste in the mouth after ingesting the fish oil tablets,
you may freeze the tablets and ingest them before bedtime.
Be careful! Too much fish oil can lead to increased risk of bleeding
and they interfere with warfarin, a common medication used to prevent blood clots.
If you have another supplement that you would like me to review in a video,
just write down your suggestion in the comment box below.
I already have other videos about Vitamin D, Magnesium, and glucosamine with chondroitin.
Please, don’t forget that this video is for educational purpose only. If you have a
condition that needs medical advice, please talk to your doctor. And if there is an emergency,
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Thank you for watching. Good bye.