The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Adhd
Posted by Roxanne (Perth, Western Australia) on 12/09/2007
★★★★★
High Potency Fish Oil w/ Virgin Evening Primrose Oil Has Made My Little Boy "Normal" I have two children aged 3.5yrs and 21 months. My eldest was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder at the start of the year (Jan 2007). Because my eldest son is classed as Autistic, the health professional seem to think that my youngest may have a problem. Okay, my youngest is very hyperactive, used to run into things (like the kitchen table) and not feel any pain and he had a serious biting problem that went waaaayyy beyond teething. After geting sick and tired of hearing "your youngest maybe suspected Autistic/ADD" I decided to see a homeopath and ask (beg) for help. The lady there was wonderful and recommended that I try a mixture of high potency fish oil that also contained virgin evening primrose oil that was recommended for children and adults of all ages. Well, after a week of giving him 5ml a day (mixed with food), our little boy is all cool. calm and collected. He stills runs around but he has stopped running into walls and tables. The biting was gone and he interacts well with his autistic brother. He has also started talking again. And to think, only 2 weeks have passed now and he will only improve. Just wanted to share this with you. Thanks,
Fish Oil and Skin
Posted by Art (California) on 07/31/2022 2325 posts
★★★★★
In early June of 2022, I was having a conversation with a friend who I was already working with to try and resolve hyperpigmentation issues of her skin. Progress was slow and she was asking about different supplements that might be helpful. She mentioned that she was taking fish oil (FO) and it didn't seem to be too helpful, even though she had been taking it for years.
I asked her how many milligrams of FO she was taking. She mentioned that she was taking a 1000 milligrams a day of combined DHA/EPA. I mentioned that that might not be the optimal dose for her based on effective dosages used in studies of FO in humans and suggested she consider upping her dose to study levels of EPA/DHA of 3 to 4 grams per day in order to optimize the benefit to her skin and heart. This would be 3 to 4 times the amount she was already taking. It is the total amount of EPA/DHA in a given FO soft gel that is important, not the total amount of different oils. So even though a FO soft gel may say 1200 mg, the actual EPA/DHA level may only be half that amount. It is important to read the label carefully to know what you are really getting.
Obviously the heart benefit will not be readily apparent other than through testing, but I told her that any additional benefit to her skin should be readily apparent within two months or so. I also reminded her that FO at therapeutic dosing such as she was now taking can absolutely have blood thinning effects and as such she should notify her doctor and have him/her add that information to her medical records for safety. I further told her that the high dose FO, because of its anti inflammatory effects should be additionally beneficial to her anti hyperpigmentation regimen as localized inflammation is a contributing factor to skin hyperpigmentation.
This past week, my friend texted me to update me on how she was doing as it was approaching the 2 month mark at her new increased FO dosing level. She said the following, it appears to be additive to her anti hyperpigmentation regimen as she could see increased fading of dark spots which she said had previously slowed to a crawl and she felt that if the current rate of lightening continued she might be "clear" in 3 months or so. She further said that the increased FO dosing schedule had eliminated "all of her dry skin" issues which she said had been a major problem for her for years. She went on to say that "stretch marks, keratosis and scars" that she has had for years had either faded, significantly diminished or both.
Overall she was very happy and looking forward to continued improvements and she said the improvements are helping her to diligently stick to her current regimen with no slacking. I told her that was good that she is applying her regimen consistently because that is needed in order to obtain the results she is getting and wants.
She told me she would update me later and when she does I will update this thread to update on her progress.
I know this is not of very much importance to many people, but it does offer a significant boost to her self esteem which, imo, is very important in trying to improve your overall quality of life, plus the added health benefit that the therapeutic FO dose is having to her heart is great, especially as we age! It is important to highlight the benefits of FO at useful dosing levels as many studies spotlight a multitude of health effects associated with sufficient intake of EPA/DHA, even for the brain!
Art
Anxiety
Posted by Sharon (Boston)
★★★★★
First I took flax, then I switched to Cod Liver Oil from Norway (no mercury, contaminants, etc). I think I was taking 2 capsules a day. After 2 days I had a sharp pain in my gall bladder which I get if I eat too much fat. I stopped taking the cod liver oil and the pain went away. I went to Whole Foods and found an excellent brand of flax oil with 15% flax seed particles. There were only a few bottles left so I figured it must be a good brand! At any rate, I noticed quite by accident that, after increasing the flax to 3 capsules 3x a day, my anxiety and adrenaline decreased. I knew flax seed oil has been used sucessfully in the treatment of depression and bi-polar disorders, but I didn't know that flax oil could also diminish anxiety! Needless to say I am unbelievably pleased to discover this. Last week I took a break from the flax oil and my anxiety returned as usual after a couple of days. I hope others will try flax for anxiety and write in about it. I would be curious to know if it has the same effect on others.
Fish Oil and Skin
Posted by Madelyn (Idaho) on 08/03/2022
Hi Art,
This is fascinating information. Thank you for sharing your friend's experience with fish oil's effect on her skin. I would really like to know which brand she took. Fish oil quality seems to be all over the place depending on the brand, so I'd like to try the brand and formulation she is using. Thanks for ALL your amazing contributions to the EarthClinic community!
Fish Oil and Skin
Posted by Art (California) on 08/03/2022 2325 posts
Hi Madelyn,
You're welcome!
This is the product she used:
She takes 4 per day.
Art
Fish Oil and Skin
Posted by Art (California) on 08/11/2022 2325 posts
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Deirdre (Atlanta, GA) on 08/07/2008
★★★★★
Update to my flax post... After trying out a bunch of brands over the past few years, I finally bought one that tastes good! Okay, so this is an a rare Earth Clinic product endorsement and no, EC didn't get a free bottle from the manufacturer! The brand name is Barlean's and you can find it in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods. I take 1 tablespoon 3x a day on an empty stomach. No stomach problems, believe it or not. This one tastes a whole lot better than the other brands I have tried. Most of them have that terribly rancid after-taste.
Re: the skin -- yes, if you want dewy, moisturized, baby soft skin, flax is the way to go. Takes 20 minutes after eating a tablespoon of flax oil to see the results in my skin. It definitely softens my forehead creases. If you have tough, dry hands or cracked heels, this remedy is for you! The only problem is that effects of 1 tablespoon only lasts about 8-10 hours... But then another 24 hours to go back to the way your skin was before the flax...
Anxiety
Posted by Jared (Sydney, Austrailia) on 03/05/2009
★★★★★
I suffer with social anxiety disorder, I'm anxious and have difficulty thinking clearly in general not just in anxiety situations.I got myself flaxseed oil and took a tablespoon.I felt better instantly. My thinking became a lot clearer and my usual confused anxious state diminished. It definitely has a significant effect on brain chemistry. I'll be taking it everyday now :)
Fish Oil and Skin
Posted by Madelyn (Idaho) on 08/04/2022
Thanks for the link, Art! I've used Innovix Labs probiotics before at the recommendation of others. They seem to be an excellent brand for supplements.
Which are Best to Take?
Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 05/26/2014
Hi Cindy...I have nothing against essential fatty acids derived from vegetable oils. My objection arises due to people advising that vegetable oils are the only fatty acids that are good for you and my view is mainly derived on demographic and historic observations on diet.
Before 1900 our main dietary fats were lard, tallow and butter. All saturated fats with little or no vegetable oils in the diet. In Asia and Africa their older historic diets used mainly animal fats, ghee(clarified butter), coconut oil and palm oil. All saturated fats. There was far less serious autoimmune diseases like heart disease in these older times because of their saturated fat diet. The eskimos ate whale and seal blubber in large amounts and they were very healthy on this older diet. When these eskimos eventually moved into modern townships they caught the same autoimmune diseases as the white man because they ate the same processed foods and vegetable oils.
In my opinion, we eat far too much polyunsaturated veg oils(omega 6) in our diets today. Researchers continually advocate that we should balance omega 6 with omega 3 oils in a ratio of 3:1. We simply cannot digest omega 6's properly without properly balancing omega 3 oils in the diet and that's a fact. But how can you balance these oils properly when our diets are already so incredibly high in chemically processed, chemically altered, oxidized and dead omega 6 polyunsaturated vegetable oils? And how can you be sure that that wonderful bottle of unprocessed flaxeed oil that you bought at the organic health shop isn't already oxidized? (flaxeed oil contains polyunsaturated omega 6's and omega 3's that are easily oxidized in just ordinary sunlight). That's one of the main reasons for the failure of the Budwig Protocol against cancer -- due to oxidized flaxseed oil. If your flaxeed oil that you use with cottage cheese is already oxidized and contains trans fats instead then what effect will that have on cancer?
They even brazenly refer to these processed vegetable oils as RBD oils -- Refined, Bleached and Deodorized. Additives? Is this kind of oil really good for you? Too much omega 6 oil in the diet is therefore very bad for health. Chemically processed omega 6's are even worse. Having said that, omega 6 and omega 3 oils are indeed necessary for our body in their pure unaltered and un-oxidized form -- but in much smaller amounts than is in our diets today.
Denham Harman, a UK researcher, fed mice on their natural diet which included processed vegetable oils as well. The other mice group just ate their natural diet -- no veg oil. At the end of the experiment Harman found that the mice group that ate vegetable oils had a 45% higher rate of cancer than the other mice group which had not eaten veg oil. See this link:
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/jul2004_profile_harman_01.htm
Harman's research more or less confirmed that excess polyunsaturated fats in the diet were bad for you and from his research, the mice -- who are also vegetarians -- just ate too much veg oil in their diet with consequent and obvious unbeneficial results.
And then there was the poor and much-manipulated research by Ancel Keyes which concluded that saturated fats were bad for your heart and veg oils were all good. With great glee, the US veg oil cartels ran with that research as advertizing propaganda to persuade us to buy their "more healthy" veg oils in the 1960s and now we are all brainwashed and have the same knee jerk belief that veg oils(in any quantity) are good for our hearts and saturated fats(in any quantity) is bad for us in our diets today. And here we are 50 years on and we're all eating veg oils and margarine and other man made foods and guess what? The population statistics on heart disease today are logarithmic. Heart disease is the No 1 killer in America today. So it was all bunk research, just propaganda so that the US vegetable oil cartels could beat the sales of the palm oil producers from Asia. So it was really all about money and profit and had nothing whatsoever to do with heart health. And we're all suffering for it now. If you want a proper and honest understanding about heart disease and cholesterol then read this and make up your own mind.
Another article I remember reading with interest was an interview with an esteemed gastro surgeon. He described that the intestinal inner surface should be pink to be healthy. But he admitted in the interview that in all his years as a gastro surgeon who had operated on hundreds of intestines, he had never come across what he would describe as a healthy set of human intestine. He then described that all the intestines he had seen looked like they were covered with a dark grey inner varnish. When asked about the cause the surgeon said, without hesitation, that excess processed vegetable oils in the diet were the cause. Too much oxidized, processed oil and not enough omega 3's in the diet.
Finally I would say that small amounts of omega 3's and omega 6's are necessary in diet. I take a teaspoon of high quality Black Seed Oil (Nigella Saliva) every day to satisfy this need. But the main oil I use for cooking is coconut oil -- a saturated fat oil -- because it will not oxidize at high heat or be oxidized in sunlight as will polyunsaturated oils or monounsaturated oils(like olive oil). I've also read that olive oil exporters are now adding cheap, processed polyunsaturated oils into their olive oil to make more profit. That's why I tend to steer clear of most unsaturated oils. To me, unsaturated oils just means "easily oxidized to trans fats".
All I'm doing here is reverting to and supporting the older more healthy dietary habits that have been followed for thousands of years. There is only one question that needs answering -- "What essential oils do my genes really want and need?" You can only discover the answer to that question when you look at older diets that have been eaten over the millenia. Like it or not, our genes have adjusted to these older diets and need them for proper health. Essential oils is just one small part of the diet puzzle. I believe that these older diets are what our genes crave because our genes are so used to them. And this diet must also include saturated fats and non-processed healthier foods as well.
Food producers and scientists should stop playing God with our food. We now blessed with GMO, drugs, agri-poisons, chemical processing and tainted drinking water, all of which corrupt and insult our food supplies and our bodies. Of course, this path is utter madness. I would much rather honest science worked in lock-step with Nature. That way at least these for-profit industry-paid scientists might learn a thing or two about what is really beneficial and necessary for our good health.
Depression
Posted by Calista (Penang, Malaysia) on 01/03/2009
★★★★★
Fish Oil (Omega 3 Fish Oil) REALLY helps with depression. I have been battling severe clinical depression for over 2 years now. Though I'm emotionally & mentally better, I had problems with irregular sleep pattern, excessive sleepiness and lack of energy. I read that Omega 3 can help, so I tried taking it. After just 3 days on 3000mg a day (taken on breakfast, lunch, dinner), for the first time in years I noticed I slept less during the day and slept better at night. It's been weeks now and I continue taking 1000-3000mg a day, and I keep feeling better. I now wake up feeling more refreshed and motivated to do things. I have the energy to actually do them. My naps are short, or sometimes I can go without one. I feel sleepy after a certain time (at night) and can actually sleep throughout the night and wake up ONLY when it's morning. It has regulated my sleep cycle! I can't remember the last time I feel this great! It's amazing such improvement can be achieved with just a simple thing like Fish Oil. Do try it. There can be no harm, only good.
Canker Sores
Posted by Jennifer (Northern, Idaho) on 01/28/2008
★★★★★
I was having chronic canker sores, usually 3 at a time. I tried everything I'd ever heard of with little success. I started taking Omega 3 in the form of flax seed oil for general health reasons. Within a week or so my sores were gone and I haven't had one since. I alternate between flax oil capsules (6 a day), ground flax seeds (2 tablespoons) and eating about 1/4 cup of walnuts.
Adhd
Posted by Bob (Moosic, Pa./usa) on 04/14/2012
Many moms who have autistic children were dehydrated while pregnant. Main causes of dehydration are drinking caffeine, alcohol or soda & lack of water & sea salt.
Google: Autism caused by dehydration.
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Linda (Melbourne, Australia) on 11/11/2007
★★★★★
Hi all, I have been taking flaxseed oil for about 3mths 4 tablespoons a day so i decided to use it as a mosturiser on my face, i do suffer from acne as well im 40 and never looked my age after about a week i noticed a difference in my skin and it started to clear up my acne its been 4 weeks now and i am so happy my skin glows and looks so healthy, people have started to comment how good my skin looks, as well as the flaxseed oil i use vco with it, it helps me maybe it could help others, you can find it in a fridge in health food shops cost $11 and last for couple months. Hope others find it good as well. cheers Linda
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Jenay (Los Angeles, California) on 03/16/2010
hello,,i was wondering if is possible to mix flax seed oil with acv and baking soda?
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Deirdre (Los Angeles, CA)
★★★★★
I was taking Fish Oil for about a month until I started hearing about about the mercury content in fish. I switched over to flax seed oil. With both fish oil and flax seed oil, I noticed overnight that my skin became noticeably softer and less dry. It took a couple of days before my system adjusted to taking 1 capsule of flax, 3x a day -- it's commonly used as a laxative! Another thing I noticed from taking Flax Seed Oil along with Calcium/Magnesium/Phosphorous liquid is that I feel much calmer.
Constipation
Posted by Amanda (Santa Barbara, CA)
★★★★★
I found the following information below in quotes from a website after reading that the ALA (there is no DHA or EPA)in flaxoil can cause an eicosanoid imbalance in the body leading to increased inflamation and ill health. I take the fish oil to get the EPA and DHA that balances eicosanoids and protects brain cells. I take 1000 mg of molecularly distilled fish oil to avoid any pcb's or dioxins and borage oil for the proper balance of omega 6.
"Omega-3 (you may sometimes see it written as n-3 or w-3) is the name given to a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The parent omega-3 - alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) - is described as 'essential' as, like vitamins, it must be obtained from diet. It is polyunsaturated and has 18 carbon atoms and 3 double bonds (18:3).
However, from the point of view of human nutrition, the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5)and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) - EPA and DHA - are considered much more valuable as these are the forms the body requires. In theory, humans are able to synthesise EPA and DHA from dietary ALA, but in practice this process is inefficient. Scientists have therefore concluded that EPA and DHA should be obtained from diet. Oil-rich fish and supplements such as fish oil and cod liver oil, are the richest and most readily available sources. Other sources such as krill and fortified everyday foods like bread and fruit juices are in production in a minor way in various parts of the world.
Constipation
Posted by Charity (Faithville, Us) on 09/12/2018
Ray Peat has some very insightful arguments with scientific data to encourage people not to use fish oil supplements if you want the research information on the topic.
Cholesterol
Posted by Betty (USA)
★★★★★
My cholesterol is 6.33. The doctor said I had to go on cholesterol drug but I tried out two of them and had a bac reaction. So, I went to a health food store "ROOT CELLAR" here in Charlottetown and tried cholesterol tablets but had trouble with them. So, I bought their "Omega-3 fish oil" ...I've only been on it for two weeks...too soon to tell if cholesterol level is down but I must say that I feel much better after so short a time on Omega-3. It says on the bottle that it's made from HERRING. Other stores have oil made from salmon but this store has a good reputation so I bought oil there.
Cholesterol
Posted by Jessica (Long Island, NY) on 01/26/2009
Try Red Yeast Rice, I think thats the name, my sister has a Herb shop and my Mom took it and her numbers became normal! Jessica
Fish Oil and Skin
Posted by Peter (Chicago) on 08/11/2022
Art, you mentioned fish oil for end stage kidneyDisease, is this brand ok to use?
Fish Oil
Posted by Rebel (Somewhere, Usa) on 09/07/2014
Hello all. My mother goes to church with a lady, that is having some real bad problems right now. I am not sure what all is going on, but she took the midi doc route. Believe it or not the medical doctor actually told her she needs to take
Fish Oil that dissolves in the intestines and not the stomach. She forgot to ask him what type that was.
I was hoping maybe some of you Fish Oil people may know the kind, not so much brand. But the kind that will dissolve after it is in the intestines and not the stomach.
Thank you.
Fish Oil
Posted by J (Canada) on 01/12/2015
Hi Rebel, that just means it is the kind of fish oil capsule that has an enteric coating on it. This coating (often synthetic but can be found plant based) is resistant to acidity and therefore can't be broken down in the stomach. So it passes through into the intestines, where it finally breaks down in the non-acidic neutral conditions there and is absorbed.
Articles of Interest
Posted by Lita209 (Sanford, Fl, USA) on 09/23/2009
Dogs
Posted by Elaine (Bettendorf, Iowa) on 08/04/2008
★★★★★
First thank you for the amazing amounts of help you share. Through the inspiration of your readers I decided to put my Golden Retriever older puppy on a more informed diet than feeding her retail store junk. I give her a natural kibble and she is doing well. In the interest of protecting her joints in old age I have her on a supplement. To take it one step further I give her a teaspoon of flaxseed oil in her meals each day. After six months I noticed that she is not shedding profusely as a former golden did. I do brush her regularly but there is no excessive hair all over the house. Plus I noticed that her pads are very soft. Perhaps this could help a hair challenged pet owner out there? Aside from strengthening her body she has the benefit of a very healthy coat!
Dogs
Posted by Lula (Australia) on 11/04/2016
Please be careful supplementing your dog - if you are feeding flax, you "must" feed vitamin e, (natural), which has the role of stopping fats becoming rancid in the body. It is a long story, but I found out the hard way :(
Fibroid and Breast Cancer Prevention
Posted by Ruth (Ionia, Michigan) on 03/09/2008
★★★★★
my name is ruth,I used flax seed to cure my tumors . I would grind them in my coffee grinder . Then I would use about 2tsp a day and sprinkle them over my salad . I found it easier to eat them that way . I also would make flaxseed bread I would use about a 1/2 cup in my loaf of bread . It is very important to grind the flaxseed up to get the benfit of the seeds. Other wise the seeds will just pass right threw you . I did this for about a year and when I went back and had my ultra sound they were gone . I also had a tumor in my breast . I was benine but that also disappeared as well . I never tryed the BSM because I never heard about it working on' tumors until now. I end up have a historectomy because my uterus fell . but I still take it so I don't get any tumors in my breast
Canker Sores
Posted by Linda (Springfield, Oh) on 01/17/2010
I had serious canker sores and finally realized it was an allergy to sulfates (a cleansing agent) in most toothpaste. Now I try to use other toothpastes before bed (when the residue is staying in your mouth) and regular in the AM.
Adhd
Posted by Jessica (Long Island, NY) on 01/26/2009
Thank you so much for sharing this! Jessica
Mental Illnesses
Posted by RAquelle (Auckland, New Zealand) on 12/04/2007
★★★★★
I have heard very good things about fish oils! A woman who was severly Bi polar , would go into dillusional lapses for weeks and upon taking fish oils whe has now not suffered these for 2 years now. I also have suffered mood swings ....I link with brain chemical balances (not necessarely Bi-polar) .........I feel 3 Capsules have balanced my mood very nicely. Also I find cutting out suger and white flour also helps. Remember because of what we eat etc..... the stresses in our life are given power in a way , because we get trigger easily. we all deserve lovely lifes and are entitled , and because we have strayed a distance from the natural foods that we used to consume..we have to return and relearn how to be healthy.
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Roslyn (Queens, N.Y.) on 11/01/2009
Hi Linda from Melbourne Australia. I take omega everyday and also suffer with acne. You use the flaxseed oil as a moisturizer do you put it on day and night? If you apply during the day do you also use SPF sunblock as well? You said it helped with your acne - did you break out before it got better? Also what is vco? I have cut sugar, diary and deep fried foods out of my diet which helps alot. Thanks. I will appreciate any advice that you have.
EC: VCO is an acronym for Virgin Coconut Oil.
Anxiety
Posted by Cynthia (London, Uk) on 01/23/2012
★★★★★
I started taking 2 tablespoons per day of ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal), in the hopes of shrinking the many large fibroids in my uterus, and easing fibrocystic breast pain.
I've been taking it for less than a month, and I'm guessing that it's too soon to tell if it has helped with these things, or at least it doesn't seem to have helped so far.
But, I have noticed some positive effects in other areas. I am normally a very anxious person, but since starting the flaxseed, I feel much calmer and able to handle everyday situations. My asthma has also seemed to improve drastically, (probably as a result of me being calmer). I have hardly taken any asthma medication since I started taking it.
I will definitely continue to take this. I'm happy with the results so far, and really hope that in time it will also help me with the fibroids and breast pain.
Constipation
Posted by Janine (Catskills, NY)
★★★★★
If you have constipation, taking a capsule of flax seed oil with some water first thing in the morning works wonders. Give it 20 minutes -- make sure you don't go anywhere, this stuff works fast! It is an excellent way to cleanse the bowels as well.
Constipation
Posted by Jon (Wheeling, Wv) on 09/12/2018
I am reading conflicting reports as to the benefits of Omega 3's. I am a picky eater and do not eat much fish. I would like to take supplements to protect my body. I have seen Omega's advertised that are supposed to be "pure" and in blister packs for freshness. You have to sign up to have shipped every month. I tend to stay away from those type of products. It is very hard to navigate the web to find a good yet cost effective brand to buy. Do you know of any reputable sites that I could check?
