How is it that after eating extremely healthy my entire life… that I just got a passing grade in my Omega-3 fatty acid test? Well, let's see how my results turned out, what I can do to improve and give you my suggestions regarding that.

Most of my adult life (I started at 19) I have eaten a vegetarian type diet with the last year being a pescatarian which I do consume fish (Tuna or Salmon) once a week. I have also consumed some level of fish oil and or flaxseed oil every day for the last 20 years.  With that in mind, I still had a 5.8 level of Omega-3 Index, where the healthier average is between 8 and 12 which may help to maintain heart, brain, eye, and joint health. My Nutritional background of my mere passing grade is that your body requires continual and constant changes no matter what you may think is just healthy for you.  I've taken the Standard Process tuna soft gel capsules (3 per day) for about two years and I should of been changing and adapting different levels of fish type oil whether I consumed tuna, krill, calamari, cod liver or EPA/DHA supplement in order to change things up. This Omega 3 Index test validated that unchanged consumption as we know, causes stagnation, and can easily happen. Your body quickly and efficiently adapts to the environment, exercise, food, or supplement intake when you consume the same exercise program, same type of foods or supplements over again without checks and balances.

This passing grade showed me that even with the extremely healthy diet that I've had most of my life, what would it have been if I didn't eat that well? Probably a failing grade which majority of Americans probably have.  The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states, “For the general population, consumption of about 8 ounces per week of a variety of seafood, which provide an average consumption of 250*mg per day of EPA and DHA, is associated with reduced cardiac deaths among individuals with and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease.” The FDA has determined that the consumption of up to 3000 mg/day of EPA and DHA is generally recognized as safe. I also realized that I should have taken 5-6 of the Tuna soft gels as I was only consuming 3 with the 1,330 milligrams of Tuna oil per 2 soft gels. Based on current USDA Nutrient Data Lab Values, the highest EPA and DHA values are from Salmon (Atlantic and Pacific), Herring, Tuna, Mackerel and Trout, so start eating more “oily” fish in your diet.

I would suggest that you have a variety of Tuna and Salmon on regular basis and a Fish oil/EPA/DHA a supplement, because the body is always changing and adapting to different nutrients and can become stagnant from eating the same thing over and over again which we all do with our favorite or convenience foods.  I also feel the importance to have regular blood chemistry testing, I would say at least every six months to show how these changes are affecting your blood chemistry and the overall health of your body. 

I will do a follow-up Omega 3 Index Blood test in the next 3 to 4 months with my changes in supplementation (Cod Liver Oil Supplement and  Olprima EPA/DHA).  I will see how the benefits of changing supplements will improve the quality of my essential fatty acids and EPA/DHA levels.  These levels will slowly change over time and continue to change for 3-4 months. Essential fatty acids are required for key functions of the body whether brain cognitive function, cardiovascular health, eyes, and joint mobility health.  I am looking forward to seeing how key modification in my diet and supplements can improve my overall health coupled with some blood testing every once in a while, can optimize my Health. Thanks for reading Dr. Joe.