can you have too many efa's???

[thajeepster]

just curious...

I recently purchased a bottle of total efa (http://www.healthfromthesun.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?product=totalefa)
I split 1 tbsp in two meals.

However im trying to get fats up to around 100g, so i also take 10g fish oil, divided in two meals.

The fish oil however are the "weaker" ones with 180/120 epa/dha per pill.

My other meals that have fats in them have olive or enova oil and pb.

Just curious if there are any downsides to too much efa. I figure that some people take 1 tbsp flax and 1 tbsp fish oil so i dont think i should worry.

 

[Jodi]

You don't have much to worry and I don't think you would be taking too much. Just remember to keep a 4:1 ration of n6:n3.

Some known side effects of too much n-3's are:
Thinning of the blood - therefore increase bleeding with wounds
Immune system suppression
And mercury poisioning - You should be taken fish caps that have been molecullarly distilled though and most brands are.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

Yup - basically the omega-3 will do what Jodi said... They can cause bleeding (made worse if you are already on blood thinners like asprin), decrease your immune responses (because of it's inflammatory dampening action) and (possibly) they have the risk of mercury poisoning (if you buy cheap sups)...

There is also research out to suggest that high doses can can also impair your normal insulin response (although it increases insulin sensitiviy it can also prevent you from mounting enough of an insulin response to a meal so you basically enduce diabetes).



Excessive omega-6's have been linked to nasty things like colon/bowel cancer, breast cancer and auto-immune an inflammatory diseases... This is especially if they are taken far in excess of omega-3 intake...

 

[Jodi]

There is also research out to suggest that high doses can can also impair your normal insulin response (although it increases insulin sensitiviy it can also prevent you from mounting enough of an insulin response to a meal so you basically enduce diabetes).

I never heard of this one before

 

[Thunder]

There is also research out to suggest that high doses can can also impair your normal insulin response (although it increases insulin sensitiviy it can also prevent you from mounting enough of an insulin response to a meal so you basically enduce diabetes).

Can you post that reference? I've not seen that one. Is it a human study? I know there's some research that has not found some of the animal results to carry over into humans ... yet.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

Can you post that reference? I've not seen that one. Is it a human study? I know there's some research that has not found some of the animal results to carry over into humans ... yet.

It is probably the one you are thinking of - A rat study (I know... bad... bad... they are not the ideal metabolic model...)

But still... I did say that research 'suggested' it... and I would rather be on the safe side - plus, as most people can get the body composition benefits from as little as 6g/day then, unless there is a medical reason for taking more (eg: IBD, Rheumatoid Arthritis etc etc) I usually suggest 6-10g (6g for most but up to 10g for the large, very muscular)...


Ummm... If you want I can go see if I can find the study again...

 

[Thunder]

It is probably the one you are thinking of - A rat study (I know... bad... bad... they are not the ideal metabolic model...)

But still... I did say that research 'suggested' it... and I would rather be on the safe side - plus, as most people can get the body composition benefits from as little as 6g/day then, unless there is a medical reason for taking more (eg: IBD, Rheumatoid Arthritis etc etc) I usually suggest 6-10g (6g for most but up to 10g for the large, very muscular)...

I'm similar on the 'safe side' stance on most topics (ie. flaxseeds and cyanogenic glucosides)

I tend to be in the 6-9g range for fish oil recs as well.

Ummm... If you want I can go see if I can find the study again...

Only if you have it handy, otherwise, it's ok. I was just curious.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

Only if you have it handy, otherwise, it's ok. I was just curious.

G'ah - good, because I can't find it!

(I did have it saved on my other computer - but a robbery earlier this year had someone take my precious collection of saved articles... I lost hundreds of them... many of which I probably will never find again ).

 

[BulkMeUp]

Found this table comparing diff brands. Though some brands may not be available where you are.

http://www.ctv.ca/generic/WebSpecials/omega3/charts/chart1.html

Or if you can get milk containing omegas where you are. Omega enriched Canadian milk called world first, though the fishies would be better.

 

[BigDyl]

OMG EVERYTHING CAUSES CANCER NOW!

 

[Vieope]

OMG EVERYTHING CAUSES CANCER NOW!

Yes but amazingly, cancer is not contagious. Cancer doesnt cause cancer.

 

[myCATpowerlifts]

OMG EVERYTHING CAUSES CANCER NOW!

I know seriously, too much or too little of anything is bad.

But I guess its always extremely one way or another.

 

[Gordo]

Yes but amazingly, cancer is not contagious. Cancer doesnt cause cancer.

Unless you count metastasis, then yeah, in essence....it does.