FISH OIL CAN BE OBTAINED FROM EATING FISH OR BY TAKING SUPPLEMENTS. FISH THAT ARE ESPECIALLY RICH IN THE BENEFICIAL OILS KNOWN AS OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS INCLUDE MACKEREL, TUNA, SALMON, STURGEON, MULLET, BLUEFISH, ANCHOVY, SARDINES, HERRING, TROUT, AND MENHADEN. THEY PROVIDE ABOUT 1 GRAM OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS IN ABOUT 3.5 OUNCES OF FISH.

FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS ARE USUALLY MADE FROM MACKEREL, HERRING, TUNA, HALIBUT, SALMON, COD LIVER, WHALE BLUBBER, OR SEAL BLUBBER. FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS OFTEN CONTAIN SMALL AMOUNTS OF VITAMIN E TO PREVENT SPOILAGE. THEY MIGHT ALSO BE COMBINED WITH CALCIUM, IRON, OR VITAMINS A, B1, B2, B3, C, OR D.

FISH OIL IS USED FOR A WIDE RANGE OF CONDITIONS. IT IS MOST OFTEN USED FOR CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE HEART AND BLOOD SYSTEM. SOME PEOPLE USE FISH OIL TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE OR TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS (FATS RELATED TO CHOLESTEROL). FISH OIL HAS ALSO BEEN TRIED FOR PREVENTING HEART DISEASE OR STROKE. THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT FISH OIL REALLY DOES LOWER HIGH TRIGLYCERIDES, AND IT ALSO SEEMS TO HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE AND STROKE WHEN TAKEN IN THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS. IRONICALLY, TAKING TOO MUCH FISH OIL CAN ACTUALLY INCREASE THE RISK OF STROKE.

BALK E, CHUNG M, LICHTENSTEIN A, CHEW P, KUPELNICK B, LAWRENCE A, DEVINE D, LAU J. EFFECTS OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS AND INTERMEDIATE MARKERS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. SUMMARY, EVIDENCE REPORT/TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT NO. 93. AHRQ NO. 04-E010-1. ROCKVILLE (MD): AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY; 2004.

BP 2012: BRITISH PHARMACOPOEIA 2012. VOLUME II. LONDON (GB): THE STATIONARY OFFICE ON BEHALF OF THE MEDICINES AND HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS REGULATORY AGENCY (MHRA); 2012.

EFSA 2012: EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY. SCIENTIFIC OPINION: SCIENTIFIC OPINION ON THE TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVEL OF EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID (EPA), DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA) AND DOCOSAPENTAENOIC ACID (DPA). EFSA PANEL ON DIETETIC PRODUCTS, NUTRITION AND ALLERGIES (NDA). EFSA JOURNAL 2012;10(7):2815. [INTERNET]. AVAILABLE FROM: HTTP://WWW.EFSA.EUROPA.EU/EN/EFSAJOURNAL/DOC/2815.PDF

EU 2011: EUROPEAN COMMISSION. COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) NO 1259/2011 OF 2 DECEMBER 2011 AMENDING REGULATION (EC) NO 1881/2006 AS REGARDS MAXIMUM LEVELS FOR DIOXINS, DIOXIN-LIKE PCBS AND NON DIOXIN-LIKE PCBS IN FOODSTUFFS. OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION L 320/18 3.12.2011 [INTERNET]. AVAILABLE FROM: HTTP://EUR-LEX.EUROPA.EU/LEXURISERV/LEXURISERV.DO?URI=OJ:L:2011:320:0018:0023:EN:PDF

EU 2012: EUROPEAN COMMISSION. COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) NO 252/2012 OF 21 MARCH 2012 LAYING DOWN THE METHODS OF SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS FOR THE OFFICIAL CONTROL OF LEVELS OF DIOXINS AND DIOXIN-LIKE PCBS AND NON-DIOXIN-LIKE PCBS IN CERTAIN FOODSTUFFS AND REPEALING REGULATION (EC) NO 1883/2006. OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION L 84/1 23.3.2012 [INTERNET]. AVAILABLE FROM: HTTP://EUR-LEX.EUROPA.EU/LEXURISERV/LEXURISERV.DO?URI=OJ:L:2012:084:0001:0022:EN:PDF

FONTANI G, CORRADESCHI F, FELICI A, ALFATTI F, BUGARINI R, FIASCHI AI, CERRETANI D, MONTORFANO G, RIZZO AM, BERRA B. 2005B. BLOOD PROFILES, BODY FAT AND MOOD STATE IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS ON DIFFERENT DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION 35(8):499-507.

FONTANI G, CORRADESCHI F, FELICI A, ALFATTI F, MIGLIORINI S, LODI L. 2005A. COGNITIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACID SUPPLEMENTATION IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION 35(11):691-699.

FREUND-LEVI Y, ERIKSDOTTER-JONHAGEN M, CEDERHOLM T, BASUN H, FAXEN-IRVING G, GARLIND A, VEDIN I, VESSBY B, WAHLUND LO, PALMBLAD J. 2006. OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID TREATMENT IN 174 PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ALZHEIMER DISEASE: OMEGAD STUDY. ARCHIVES OF NEUROLOGY 63(10):1402-1408.

FROESE R, PAULY D, EDITORS. FISHBASE: A GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEM ON FISHES. PENANG (MALAYSIA): WORLDFISH CENTER, 2005. [ACCESSED 2012-01-30]. AVAILABLE FROM: HTTP://WWW.FISHBASE.ORG

GIEDD JN, BLUMENTHAL J, JEFFRIES NO, CASTELLANOS FX, LIU H, ZIJDENBOS A, PAUS T, EVANS AC, RAPOPORT JL. 1999. BRAIN DEVELOPMENT DURING CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE: A LONGITUDINAL MRI STUDY. NATURE NEUROSCIENCE 2(10):861-863.

HAAG M. ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS AND THE BRAIN. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 2003;48(3):195-203.

HC 2007: EVIDENCE FOR QUALITY OF FINISHED NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS, VERSION 2.0 [INTERNET]. OTTAWA (ON): NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS DIRECTORATE, HEALTH CANADA, 2007. [INTERNET]. [ACCESSED 2012 JANUARY 30]. AVAILABLE FROM: HTTP://WWW.HC-SC.GC.CA/DHP-MPS/PRODNATUR/LEGISLATION/DOCS/EQ-PAQ-ENG.PHP

HOOPER L, THOMPSON RL, HARRISON RA, SUMMERBELL CD, MOORE H, WORTHINGTON HV, DURRINGTON PN, NESS AR, CAPPS NE, DAVEY SMITH G, RIEMERSMA RA, EBRAHIM SBJ. OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS FOR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. THE COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS. ISSUE 4. ART. NO.: CD003177. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003177.PUB2.; 2004.

This page is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the medicinal ingredient.