Many people are aware of fish oil supplementation and/or supplement their diet with them on a daily basis for a number of reasons … But things have come a long way from the days of cod liver oil off a spoon!!
So, lets start this blog post with a case study… ME!!!
I had been diligently taking ‘high strength fish oil’ from a well-known, reputable provider for 18 months and I therefore PRESUMED that this type and dosage would be adequate… Big mistake!
Firstly, I hadn’t measured my Omega 3: Omega 6 levels with an appropriate test to provide baseline information. So I didn’t know if my levels were adequate or insufficient. ‘If you aren’t measuring then you are guessing’… Something I tell my clients ALL THE TIME but failed to do so myself on this occasion. And this particular test is REALLY easy to do with a home based, pin prick kit which measures the ratio of Omega 3:6 in your blood at the point of measurement ….
As it turns out despite daily supplementation following the recommended dosage of my provider at the time that my Omega 3:6 ratio was were 8:1. The recommended levels are 3:1 – I was way out !! And upon further research it was easy to understand why as my daily fish oil regimen just wasn’t potent enough nor adjusted for body weight …
So why are fish oils important and why should you be adding them to your daily routine or at least take a test to see if your current supplementation regimen is adequate??
Well let’s start by digging into some basic information on Omega fatty acids …
Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are considered ‘essential’ because our body cannot manufacture them so we have to obtain them from dietary sources or supplementation. The key aspect is the ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6 intake ….
Omega 3 Fatty acids are divided into
ALA (from nuts, seeds,meat)
EPA and DHA (from oily fish such as herring/tuna/anchovies/salmon/mussels/oysters/crab)
It is the EPA/DHA concentration that you will commonly see advertised when browsing fish oils on the market ..
And herein lies the first issue – most people don’t eat enough oily fish and many forms of farmed fish such as salmon are becoming lower in Omega fatty acids!!!
So, it is very likely that large % of the general and sports population just don’t ingest sufficient quantities of Omega 3 fatty acids from daily meals alone. This can therefore result in Omega 3:6 imbalance due to the effects of westernised diets which tend to be higher in Omega 6 and lower in Omega 3 with subsequent Omega 3:6 test ratio’s of 15-16:1 being reported!
Making my test results look quite positive !!
Potential benefits of optimising Omega 3:6 ratio ???
Reduced triglyceride levels and high blood pressure
Can relieve symptoms of inflammatory arthritis
Can regulate mood state and cognition
Assist muscle recovery after exercise
High quality oils in our diet are the pre-cursors for sex hormone production such as testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone
Improved heart/lung dynamics in cyclists
There is also suggestion that it could assist muscle building in those with sub-optimal protein ingestion.
So you can see that there are a whole range of health and wellness benefits supported by research and many, many positive case study reports (although these are associations as opposed to cause and effect).
In contrast the risk profile for fish oil supplementation is negligible and potential benefit well demonstrated and therefore this is certainly an area for most to consider !!
So what to do next ???
- Take a test – before supplementation begins to ascertain baseline levels and again at 90 days (3 months) after supplementation has commenced
https://www.zinzino.com/2011288434/GB/en-GB/products/Health/309011
- Start taking Balance Oil daily which is a comprehensively designed, body weight specific fish oil supplement that you ‘shot’ each morning !! The oil also contains other beneficial ingredients such as Vit D3
https://www.zinzino.com/2011288434/GB/en-GB/products/Health/300000
(There are also vegan and water based based options – contact me for more details)
**All balance oils are batch tested and informed sport registered for athlete safety regarding doping control
- Re-test at 3 months and correlate this to how you feel and your level of daily and sports specific function.
And it’s as easy at that !!!
It is highly likely you will feel some significant benefit from optimising your Omega 3:6 balance such as cognition, mood state, cardiovascular function and recovery from training or injury.
I hope you have found this information useful but please also contact me at admin@active-therapy.com or 07970110526 and I’d be happy to help further
Andrew Caldwell BSc (Hons) MSc MCSP
Consultant Physiotherapist/Clinical Director – Active Therapy Ltd
Independent ZinZino Partner