EPA & DHA: Omega-3 Fatty Acids

(eicosapentaenoic acid & docosahexaenoic acid)

DRI (RDA or AI for Adults)

None. As alpha-linolenic acid (precursor to EPA & DHA):
Males: 1.6 g. Females: 1.1 g. Pregnancy: 1.4 g. Lactation: 1.3 g.

Adult Maintenance - Therapeutic Range

500 - 3,000 mg of EPA/DHA. (Fish oil caps usually contain 18-30% EPA and 12-20% DHA.)

Major Sources

Cold-water fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, halibut, and herring. Flaxseed oil (and to a lesser extent, canola and soybean oils) contains the essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a precursor to EPA and DHA, but humans convert ALA to EPA and DHA very inefficiently (about 10%).

Non-Therapeutic Importance

Essential fatty acids (EFA) are precursors of the hormone-like eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes) that participate in the regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, vascular dilation, blood clotting, lipolysis, immune response, and the central nervous system. Omega-3 fatty acids balance the action of arachidonic acid (excess metabolites can cause inflammation).

Possible Therapeutic Applications

CONSULT WITH A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL FIRST: HIGH DOSAGE NOTE: Consult first with your physician if you have diabetes or are taking blood thinning drugs. Supplementation may prevent, correct deficiencies caused by, or be helpful with, the following conditions:

Aging
Angina Pectoris
Anxiety
Asthma
Atherosclerosis (heart disease)
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Cerebrovascular Disease (including stroke)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, CFIDS)
Crohn's Disease
Diabetes
Eczema
Headache (migraine)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Immunodepression (immune function)
Infection (colds, flu, etc.)
Inflammation (including bursitis)
Kidney Stones
Learning Disorders (including ADHD)
Lupus (SLE)
Memory Loss (Alzheimer's disease, dementia)
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
Peptic Ulcers
Psoriasis
Raynaud's Disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Ulcerative Colitis