<p>I have seen much conflicting information on the best ratio of the two main omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements. I used to read that the higher the ratio of EPA to DHA, the better. This company makes supplements with a 7:1 ratio:</p>
<p>Recently, I read that Dr. Oz recommends taking DHA alone (I believe that this comes from algae and is not fish oil). And I’ve read that the best ratio is 2:1, and it doesn’t matter which one is higher.</p>
<p>Here is a semi informative link. Pay special note to not taking a high dose of fish oil AND any blood thinners (i think this includes the one a day baby aspirin)</p>
<p>The reason fish oil has omega 3 in the first place is because they eat algae. It’s a more concentrated form of DHA and the same type that’s in fish (vs flax, which is harder for the human body to process).</p>
<p>That Omega Brite looks crazy expensive. It works out to 87 cents per 1000 mg (2 capsules). I take 4800 mg a day, so that would be nearly $4 a day in fish oil supplements.</p>
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<p>I just go to the drugstore and buy whatever they have a 2 for 1 deal on. Usually this one:</p>
<p>Buy one, get one half price, so it’s $27 for 360 1200 mg capsules. That’s just over 6 cents each. I take four a day so it’s 25 cents a day.</p>
<p>I seriously doubt there are really a whole lot of manufacturers of fish oil capsules. My guess is that it’s all made by a couple of big wholesale suppliers, notwithstanding whatever miracle claims are made by each final brand name the stuff is sold under.</p>
<p>^^^^^…I bought a can of sardines a few months ago and just stare at it every time I open the cupboard. I simply cannot get myself to even open the can.</p>
<p>idad, While it is true that omegabrite capsules are more expensive than Nature’s Bounty, your comparison is really off, because of the 1200 mg in each NB capsule, only 360 mg are EPA and DHA. So you are only taking 4*360=1,440 mg/day of the active ingredients. I looked at the NB website to find out how much EPA and DHA are in each capsule, but they only give the total, not the individual amounts or the ratio. I find this strange, as other brands give the individual amounts.</p>
<p>Omegabrite capsules are $23.99 for 60, each containing 350 mg of EPA and 50 mg of DHA. This works out to $0.98 per 1000 mg.</p>
<p>Nature’s Bounty is $27 for 360 capsules, each containing 360 mg of (EPA+DHA). This is $0.21 per 1000 mg. </p>
<p>So Omegabrite is about 5 times more expensive than NB, looking at total EPA+DHA. If it is true that EPA is more beneficial, then we don’t have enough information to do the comparison. But if we assume that the ratio of EPA to DHA in NB is much lower than the 7:1 ratio in Omegabrite, then Omegabrite is probably less expensive per mg of EPA.</p>
<p>I take the prescription kind–about 2000 mg per day. My insurance covers part, and I just discovered a coupon that knocks another $20 off each bottle. The cost per bottle is down to about $30, and that bottle will last for about two months. Therefore, the two capsules I take a day cost a total of $0.50.</p>
<p>PlantMom, what exactly is in the prescription capsule? Do you know how much EPA and DHA? Do you mind saying what condition the capsules are intended to treat?</p>
<p>I don’t see any evidence to support that, though. It seems that the only source for that idea is one Japanese study of fish oil plus statins. The study didn’t compare different ratios of fish oil, it just used a pure EPA product that is, apparently, widely available in Japan. I suspect this was a drug company study – they are always looking for combinations of statins plus something else to augment the statin pitch.</p>
<p>That’s a common problem with most nutritional research. People (usually people trying to sell something) latch onto the most arcane bits of inference from extremely limited research and use that to sell one product over another. Fact of the matter is that there isn’t even much decent research to suggest how much fish oil is enough. Everyone is pretty much guessing.</p>
<p>I’m certainly guessing. The amount I take seems to be more than adequate based on the concensus of recommendations, but not so high as to present any particular risk. I’m not sure the fish oil (or the other supplement I take – fiber) does any good. But, at least there’s not much risk that it’s doing me any harm.</p>
<p>But, for 25 cents a day, I’m going to stick with what seems to suit me pretty well. Last time I did blood work, my triglycerides were 31 and my HDL was 92. I guess I could stop taking the fish oil for six months and see if my blood panel gets worse. But, I don’t mind washing down a couple of capsules with a glass of powdered fiber before lunch and dinner most days, so why not keep rolling with it? :)</p>
<p>Ah yes. I found it. The JELIS study in Japan that showed reduced coronary events in people taking presciption 1800 mg EPA capsules was funded by Mochida Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan. Not surprisingly, this is the company that manufactures the 1800 mg EPA capsules used in the study…</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, there was no difference in coronary events among the groups at various level of LDL cholesterol (oops!), but that seems to have been conveniently glossed over, given that the idea is that statins plus EPA lower LDL cholesterol in order to prevent heart attacks!</p>
<p>Here’s the breakdown on the Lovanza prescription fish oil. It appears to be a fairly standard fish oil capsule formulation that has gone through the FDA testing and approval process, unlike dietary supplement fish oil capsules.</p>
<p>If you do not like sardines, other fish like salmon, trout, anchovies, and mackerel have significant amounts of omega-3 fats. Some invertebrates like squid, shrimp, and oysters also have them.</p>
<p>Hmmm, could that be part of the reason why health care costs in the US are so high (since many people are getting it through Medicare or private insurance)?</p>
<p>Looks like the Lovaza is 2.5 to 3 times more concentrated than the over-the-counter fish oil capsules I take. So I would have to take 10 or 12 capsules a day to equal the EPA/DHA of the recommended four Lovaza caps. That’s a massive dose. Makes sense that Lovaza is prescribed to treat ultra-high triglyceride levels.</p>
<p>Of course, the sure-fire way to bring triglycerides down quickly for almost everyone is to cut back on sugar and carbs. Triglycerides (fat particles) are produced by the liver when it has to metabolize an excess of fructose or glucose. The most recent research is suggesting that coronary artery disease is just another aspect of metabolic syndrome and high triglycerides (more than LDL cholesterol) is a reliable marker. Specifically, the ratio of HDL to Triglycerides seems to be a handy back-of-the-napkin marker for metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance. Apparently, triglyceride levels respond quickly – days or weeks – to reduced sugar and carb consumption.</p>