Should you take fish oil?
It is useful to take fish oil for the following conditions:
- lack of vitamins A and D in the body;
- acute and chronic respiratory diseases;
- various eye diseases;
- wounds, injuries, bone fractures;
- problems with the growth of bones and teeth;
- dry skin and mucous membranes;
- poor condition of hair and nails.
The medicine can also be taken to prevent vascular diseases and rickets.
Basic admission rules
You can buy fish oil at any pharmacy, large supermarket or sports nutrition store. When choosing, you should pay attention to the composition. The most valuable product is considered to be the one obtained from the muscle tissue of sturgeon, salmon and tuna. The most common and affordable is cod liver. Cheaper options contain less concentration and may require more.
The packaging must be light-proof and darkened, since when exposed to sunlight, the product loses its valuable properties.
Fish oil is available in liquid and capsule form. The latter is more convenient to use, but does not allow you to assess freshness by smell.
Any bitter and unpleasant aroma is a signal of non-compliance with the rules or shelf life of the product.
In order not to disrupt the body's processes and get maximum benefit, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Take during or immediately after meals. Otherwise, digestive problems may occur;
- Divide the daily norm by 2-3 times;
- The course of treatment lasts 25-30 days and is repeated no more than 3 times a year;
- The most favorable time for consumption is from October to April.
You can make it easier to take fish oil in liquid form by placing it in the freezer first. In this form, it is less likely to cause nausea and disgust.
How to use
Oil
Intended for internal use during meals.
For an adult, it is enough to take 1 tbsp per day. l. For children, the dosage is determined by the doctor and depends on age.
Features of administration depend on the purposes for which the medicine is taken, as well as on medical indications.
Capsules
The drug in capsule form should be taken after meals and washed down with a sufficient amount of drinking water. The capsule must be swallowed immediately. You can take up to 6 capsules per day.
The duration of treatment is determined by a specialist and cannot exceed 1 month.
The method of use and dosage may vary among different manufacturers.
Features of taking Omega-3 for athletes in capsules
How to take Omega-3
in capsules? Gelatin capsules should be swallowed without chewing and with plenty of water. The special shell of the capsules facilitates easy swallowing, as well as rapid absorption of the contents into the blood.
In addition, the supplement is easy to dose. Typically it is one to two capsules twice daily depending on the manufacturer's recommendations. It is advisable to take them in the morning and evening.
Before taking Omega 3 fish oil
in capsules, have breakfast or dinner (depending on the time of day), and then take the capsules with water.
Contraindications
Despite the usefulness of fish oil, it has a number of contraindications:
- increased susceptibility to constituent components;
- hemophilia;
- low blood clotting rate;
- open pulmonary tuberculosis;
- excessive calcium levels in blood plasma;
- excessive levels of vitamins A and D in the body.
Relative contraindications include: ulcers, acute and chronic nephritis, breastfeeding, liver and kidney pathologies, heart disease, old age.
Children can be given oil from 3 months. Capsules are contraindicated in children under 7 years of age.
Adverse reactions and overdose
If you keep the dose and follow the established dosage regimen, then no negative reactions should appear. Otherwise, an upset stomach, an allergic reaction, and bad breath may occur.
With prolonged use, an overdose may occur, manifested by the following symptoms:
- lack of appetite;
- gagging;
- lethargic and drowsy state;
- stomach upset;
- headache.
If such symptoms appear, maintenance therapy should be started. You should stop taking the drug.
Should children be given fish oil?
For children under 2 years of age, the medicine is usually prescribed to prevent rickets. It contains vitamin D, which is necessary for bone growth and a strong immune system. This vitamin is useful in that it reduces the body's susceptibility to heart pathologies and skin diseases. It normalizes heart rate, maintains blood pressure at the desired level, and promotes the development of intellectual abilities.
After taking it, overly active children become more perseverant and calm, they can be better controlled, and they become less irritable.
To make it easier for young children to take the drug, it is produced in the form of capsules that do not have a specific odor and have a pleasant taste.
The instructions say that the oil can be given to babies from 3 months, and capsules can be taken from 6 years.
Doctors advise giving the medicine to those children whose immunity is very weakened. It will also be useful for diseases that occur with complications.
How to take fish oil for weight loss
Fish oil, containing a wide range of vitamins and unsaturated omega fatty acids, must be taken correctly for weight loss. But since this is not a dietary supplement developed in a laboratory, there is debate about the dosage and administration of such capsules.
Some nutritionists advise introducing a limited amount of fish oil into your diet. They allow the use of only 500 mg of the product per day. They consider this amount of fish oil to be quite sufficient to activate metabolism and lose weight. They do not recommend taking more fish oil in the format of ordinary capsules for weight loss and dieting.
However, there is another category of researchers. These nutritionists have a different opinion about the correct dosage of fish oil, which promotes weight loss. They suggest consuming fish oil in an amount of 500 mg for each percentage of excess weight in the form of subcutaneous fat.
Note! If excess body weight is high, then fish oil is supposed to be consumed in large doses. But an overdose of retinol and vitamin D threatens enormous health problems and can provoke serious diseases.
That is why this remedy, obtained from substances from the liver of cod fish, should be used wisely. Its unique properties may make taking the capsules harmful. It is optimal to find the “golden mean”. This is about 1000-2000 mg of fish oil per day. Moreover, the amount of excess weight should not be more than 15 kg. If the calculation is carried out in capsules, then 1 gram is equal to 5-6 capsules.
Do pregnant women need fish oil?
Fish oil is strictly not recommended to be taken during pregnancy. During lactation, a specialist may prescribe the drug, but with great caution and under constant supervision. In this case, the expected benefit should be several times greater than the possible threat to the baby and mother.
Pregnant women can use fish oil, which is obtained not from the liver of sea fish, but from muscle mass.
Fish oil for weight loss
It is impossible to get enough Omega-3 fatty acids from regular food. Their high concentration in fish oil allows you to quickly restore balance, which in turn leads to the normalization of lipid levels, reducing the risk of inflammation that contributes to weight gain.
Also, consuming fish oil is effective for weight loss for a number of the following reasons:
- appetite suppression, reduction of cravings for sweets;
- the level of triglycerides, the end products of fat processing, which accumulate in the form of subcutaneous and visceral deposits, decreases;
- fat oxidation is activated, excess deep reserves are burned;
- the level of “bad” cholesterol decreases;
- muscle mass increases;
- inflammation is eliminated - long-term inflammatory processes reduce immunity and put the body in a stressful state, resulting in excess weight gain;
- metabolic disorders are eliminated.
Fish oil improves the effects of exercise. Its regular intake promotes the production of arachidonic acid.
It triggers a whole series of beneficial reactions, including those that directly affect fat burning:
- increasing the speed of blood movement;
- normalization of insulin, glucose and cholesterol;
- launching metabolism and metabolic processes;
- activation of the breakdown of lipids and glycogens.
Fish oil enhances insulin perception. Elevated blood sugar levels lead to insulin resistance. The reaction to glucose disappears, the cells become deficient in it and send a hunger signal to the brain. A person eats often and a lot and accordingly gets fat.
The benefits and harms of fish oil
Beneficial properties of fish oil:
- can lower blood pressure;
- reduces the likelihood of developing diabetes;
- helps cope with stressful situations and depression;
- slows down the development of malignant tumors;
- nourishes tissues with useful elements;
- activates brain activity.
Harm of fish oil:
- is a strong allergen;
- has contraindications;
- taking on an empty stomach may cause stomach upset;
- high calorie content.
The benefits of fish oil capsules
Capsules prevent the substance from oxidizing, suppress unpleasant taste and aroma, but the composition is no different from a liquid product for internal use. The composition also contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals.
What is fish oil and what are its benefits?
Fish oil is a light yellow oily substance that is extracted from the liver and fat of fatty fish. It contains a high concentration of Omega-3 - elements necessary for the normal functioning of the body. These acids are not synthesized by humans independently, but the need for them remains throughout life.
If we consider the composition of fish oil in more detail, it contains the following beneficial substances:
- vitamins A, D and E - in addition to the well-known benefits, they speed up metabolism, provide energy, promote rapid recovery after active sports, reduce appetite and prevent the appearance of fat deposits.
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are the most valuable components that prevent the formation of new ones and promote the destruction of existing fat cells. Acids are contained in an ideal proportion of 1.5:1.
- Phosphorus and marine iodine are necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system, bone tissue and thyroid gland.
Polyunsaturated acids gently activate the natural fat burning process. They very quickly penetrate cells and normalize cholesterol metabolism without causing any harmful effects. On the contrary, the performance of all organs and systems improves.
In 14 days of taking fish oil in combination with physical activity and proper nutrition, you can lose 3-4 kg. Moreover, problem areas will lose weight first.
