If a patient asks me which supplement I think is the most important for them to be taking, fish oil is at the top of my list. Fish oil has major anti-inflammatory benefits. When you reduce inflammation in the body, some of the benefits you may see are reduction in joint pain, strengthening of hair and nails, improved skin tone, and improved overall eye health. It also helps reduce systemic inflammation which can reduce your chance for cardiovascular disease.

It is important to select the proper fish oil in order to see these benefits. First, check the EPA to DHA ratio. To do this, look at the back of the bottle. You will see the ingredients EPA and DHA. In order to get these anti-inflammatory benefits, the EPA amount needs to be higher than the DHA amount. Second, make sure the dosage is high enough to get these benefits. A minimal dosage is 1.5 grams daily, but the optimal dosage is 3 grams daily. Finally, ensure your fish oil supplement is high quality and checked for purity. High quality supplements are usually only sold from a licensed health care professional, not from retail chain stores. You can also do your own research on the brand of fish oil you are taking to see if testing has been done in a laboratory to ensure purity.

If you have any questions about fish oil, I would be happy to talk to you about it. Here at New Leaf Chiropractic, I carry the Metagenics brand of fish oil. It has been tested for purity, contains the proper amount of EPA to DHA dosage, and is the brand I recommend to receive optimal anti-inflammatory benefits. Give our office a call or contact us using the “contact us” tab on our website to get in contact with me.

Yours in better health,

Dr. Peter Schmitt, D.C.