In Part 1 of our series “Unlocking Health Benefits with Supplements”, we looked at supplements that are popular with athletes and fitness enthusiasts such as BAACs, L-Carnitine, MCTs, and CLA. Amongst other benefits, these health supplements boost energy and muscle growth, help burn fat and ease recovery after exercise. In part 2, let’s have a closer look at fish oil and its many benefits.

With so many new technologies and innovations in this world, our daily lives are rapidly changing. People spend much of their time working and lack healthy foods and exercise. This is leading to health issues and cumulative stress that can lead to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Dietary supplements may be an alternative source of healthy foods because of ease of preparation and consumption. However, they are not medicines and are not intended to treat or mitigate diseases.

Let’s have a closer look. Fish oil is the fat or oil that’s extracted from fish tissue. It is concentrated omega-3 fatty acids usually in the form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). DHA and EPA can be extracted from microalgae also. The algae oil is suitable for vegan diets and has a milder smell than fish oil. Let’s look at 5 key health benefits of omega-3s.

Omega-3 / EPA / DHA / Fish oil and Algal oil are classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as GRAS (“generally regarded as safe”). For most adults, WHO recommends a daily intake of 1.1–1.6 grams (1,100–1,600 mg) of omega-3 fatty acids. However, the Thai FDA controls the dosage for omega -3 fatty acids by EPA each or DHA each or group of omega – 3 fatty acids by not over than 1 g / day.