Good health is achieved by finding balance.

Our primitive diet found a natural balance between omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. They are ‘essential’ because our body can’t produce them by themselves so we get them from the foods that we eat. Omega-6 is found primarily in plants like corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil. Omega-3 is found in some plants like flaxseed and walnuts but primarily in fish and game meat. Our primitive diet had a ratio of about 2:1 omega-6 to omega-3. Our modern Western diet with an emphasis on corn and wheat based processed foods has thrown us out of balance and we now have a ratio of between 20:1 and 50:1. This imbalance can cause a number of health problems.

Sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.
The highest concentrations of omega-3 are found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines and albacore tuna. That's because the omega-3 in fish is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. The human brain is also highly dependent on DHA - low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. Researchers are now also linking inadequate intake of these omega-3 fats in pregnant women to premature birth and low birth weight, and to hyperactivity in children.

Dosage

There are no set recommendations for EPA and DHA. Numerous studies have suggested certain amounts depending on your goal. Here are some general guidelines compiled from The Mayo Clinic and American Heart Association.

Adults (18 years and older): American Heart Association recommendation recommends 3 servings of fish a week which would provide a combined intake of about 500 mg EPA and DHA per day. A National Institutes of Health workshop held in 1999 recommends a daily dosage of EPA and DHA at 650 mg.

Hypertriglyceridemia (high triglycerides): The American Heart Association, in its 2003 recommendations, reports that supplementation with 2-4 grams of EPA + DHA each day can lower triglycerides by 20-40%.

Heart disease (secondary prevention): In people with a history of heart attack, regular consumption of  fish oil/omega-3 supplements containing 850-1800mg of EPA + DHA appears to reduce the risk of non-fatal heart attack, fatal heart attack, sudden death, and all-cause mortality (death due to any cause). The American Heart Association, in its 2003 recommendations, suggests that people with known coronary heart disease consume approximately 1 gram of EPA and DHA (combined) each day.

Rheumatoid arthritis : Clinical trials have used a range of doses, most commonly between 3 and 5 grams of EPA + DHA daily (1.7 to 3.8 grams of EPA, and 1.1 to 2.0 grams of DHA).

NOTE: Because of the risk of bleeding from omega-3 fatty acids (particularly at doses greater than 3 grams per day), a physician should be consulted prior to starting treatment with supplements.

Our Salmon Oil is much more than just one nutrient.
Our 100% Salmon Oil softgels have 500 - 600 mg of omega-3 fattry acids per softgel - much higher than most fish oils. In addition to the highly recognized DHA and EPA, many other oil soluble nutrients occur naturally in our Salmon Oil like vitamins, anti-oxidants, bio-flavinoids, and carotenoids. Not as thoroughly studied as DHA and EPA, these oil soluble nutrients certainly play an essential role in our bodies.

While we believe the healthiest (and tastiest) way for a person to take natural fish oil is to consume more oily cold water fish like Alaska Salmon, we know that not everyone has access to quality fish, or even the desire to eat fish as frequently as they should. For those people, fish oil supplements are frequently recommend, and, even prescribed by their physicians.