Help deciphering blood test results

[Duncan Swain]

Steven,

I think you're right about the fish oil, the brand I take at the moment seems to have fairly low levels of EHA and DHA, I take four capsules a day each with a breakdown as follows:

Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg
containing
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 180mg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 120mg

Also, have ordered the same brand of Vit D you've recommended, tracked it down in the UK, should arrive tomorrow.

[Darryl Shaw]

Originally Posted by Duncan Swain

2 - is there an alternative to Benecol, something with less additives?

I don't know of any alternatives to Benecol worth recomending so I think you're just going to have to read the labels carefully if you want to avoid unnecessary additives. Anyway, here's a few links to some of the research on phytosterols and cholesterol -

Lowering cholesterol - A review on the role of plant sterols.

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...icals/sterols/

Stanol/Sterol Ester–Containing Foods and Blood Cholesterol Levels.

This final one is interesting as it suggests that the decreased carotenoid levels resulting from increased sterol intakes can be addressed simply by increasing consumption of foods high in carotenoids.

Impact of quality of dietary fat on serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease: focus on plant sterols and other non-glyceride components.

[Duncan Swain]

Thanks Darryl - much appreciated.

[Steven Low]

Originally Posted by Duncan Swain

Steven,

I think you're right about the fish oil, the brand I take at the moment seems to have fairly low levels of EHA and DHA, I take four capsules a day each with a breakdown as follows:

Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg
containing
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 180mg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 120mg

Also, have ordered the same brand of Vit D you've recommended, tracked it down in the UK, should arrive tomorrow.

Yeah, you definitely want at least approximately .5g EPA+DHA for every 10 lbs bodymass or so.

150 lbs mass = 7.5g EPA+DHA if your diet isn't in tip top shape (grassfed meat, good quality eggs, etc.).

Minimum I'd be getting at least 3-5g.

It's easier to get a liquid fish oil with the amount of fish oil that you need in general... but if you can find something cheap like costco brand that has tons of pills for pretty cheap then that works too. Let us know how it goes.

[Duncan Swain]

How does this sound:

Nature's Best Pure Fish Oil 1100mg

Product Specifications Per capsule:

Fish Body Oil Concentrate 1100mg
Providing Omega 3 Fatty Acids 700mg
of which:
Saturates 93mg
Mono-unsaturates 157mg
Polyunsaturates 812mg
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 360mg
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 240mg

Cost for a 360 cap bottle is £25 ($38).

And at around 190lbs I'm assuming I'll need & or more capsules per day.