If you ask those fans of mackerel and salmon why they loved those fish so
much and what is omega-3, they will probably give you a long lecture on how
important or beneficial essential fatty acids are to your health. They will
site a number of studies proving the positive effects of fatty acids on our
bodies and how these can be used to treat a variety of conditions, ailments
or diseases.
Some, and these are the really omega-3 fanatics, can go on and on and on.
From the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids to the preparations and cooking of
salmon. At the end you find yourself mumbling and probably cursing why you
asked in the first place. However, despite the long lecture, you might
notice your friend leaving behind an issue that is often disregarded but is
equally important with the benefits of fish oils. And that can be addressed
by answering the question: is fish oil harmful?
I am all for the various benefits of fish oils. I don’t discount it, I
don’t question the studies nor do I criticize the testimonies from long
time users. But personally, I don’t believe that fish oils are purely good.
We have this saying that too much of anything is bad for you. The same
should apply to fish oils. After researching the internet, reading a number
of articles, and a couple of cups of coffee, I found out that fish oils do
have some side effects, some even quite harmful.
Among the more minor side effects are diarrhea and that fishy after taste.
You will experience these side effects if you too much dosage of fish oils.
Commonly doctors would prescribe or recommend a 2 gram intake of fish oil
daily at the minimum.
Probably the major risk of overdosing on fish oil is the contamination,
more specifically mercury contamination. It is a sad fact, but a lot of the
world’s fishing grounds are contaminated or polluted. The fish you eat
might have a good stock of omega-3 but you might not know it, the fish
might only contain a considerable amount of heavy metal contaminants. When
it comes to pill or capsule supplements, the process of creating those fish
oil capsules might not be safe. The safest would be through a distillation
process.
Another major risk is when combined with other blood thinners. Fish oil
acts as a blood thinner or anti-coagulant, which basically helps stop
platelets or heavy cells from forming blood clots reducing the risks of
having a heart attack. However, if you combine fish oil with other
medicines such as aspirins, the result might be very harmful to your body
and even fatal. Too much blood thinners can cause you to bleed out. And
bleeding does not mean just bleeding out externally, but there are cases
where patients actually bled to their brains.
So going back to our question, is fish oil harmful? Well, the above
scenario is quite a frightening one but things like that could possibly
happen to people who are extremely careless. That is why before you take
any supplements, fish oil in this case, you should consul your doctors and
make sure you provide them with a complete, honest and proper medical
history.
