THE FISH OIL BLOOD THINNING CONCERN
At a recent business meeting I introduced a blog that I had written on June 26 on this website regarding a comparison of fish oil to Krill (little crustaceans). Here is the link if you haven’t read it: https://www.fibrowellnesscenter.com/2014/06/26/krill-krill-question/. Studies show that presently there are two concerns with krill. First the lack of independent published studies and second there is no specific value as to the amount an individual should ingest.
I stated specific amounts of Omega-3 fish oil that our treatment protocol required. Omega-3 has specific amounts established for inflammation, cardiovascular conditions,memory, brain stimulation and many other health conditions. The two specific components of fish oil include ecosapentanoic acid or EPA and decosahexanoic acid or DHA.
A concern was raised as to the excess implementation of Omega-3 fish oil and its affect on blood thinning which would cause excessive bleeding.
Findings from research:
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish inhibits the production of arachadonic acid reducing blood vessel constriction along with inflammation.
Omega-3’s slightly block clotting by reducing fibrinogen.
Omega-3’s and the question of excessive bleeding comes up frequently in cardiology clinics. A Philadelphia study reported in the Journal of Cardiology included 364 subjects over a 3 year period. All subjects in the study took both blood thinner aspirin and Plavix which is a platelet inhibiting drug for coronary diseases. Half of the subjects also took 3000mg of fish oil.
Finding of the study: There was no excess bleeding events in the group taking fish oil.
Some in the group not taking fish oil actually had more bleeding events, however the difference fell short of being included in the statistics.
Finally: 3000mg per day of fish oil appeared to exert no observable increase in risk of bleeding. This is consistent with other studies that included Coumadin (Warfarin ) with no increased bleeding risk.
Two conditions in which Omega-3 can contribute to blood thinning.
1. Deficiency in Vitamin K1 for the formation of blood clotting. This problem can be reduced by the ingestion of green foods including broccoli, lettuces, green peppers and other green foods.
2. As previously mentioned, vitamin K1 “deficiency” induced by the drug Coumadin because Omega-3 moderately reduces blood clotting while the patient is on Coumadin.
As cardiologist Dr. William Davis states, “Rather than causing blood thinning, I prefer to think that Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil restore protection from abnormal clotting.” Dr. Davis feels Omega-3 strikes a health balance between blood “thinning” and healthy blood clotting.
Our clinic reduces this concern by completing a thorough evaluation and examination of the patient and their history prior to suggesting any treatment program.
Can you drink omega 3 plus the new vitamin tabs fibromaylgie their is 2 capsules that you must drink
Hello Marie.
I hope your day is going well. You can take Omega-3 in any form or combination as long as the EPA amounts to 3000mg and the DHA amounts to 2000mg. Most often if you are absorbing the 3000mg of EPA you “usually” are taking in the amount you need for the DHA. Most important, read the ingredients at the back of the bottle as to what you need to take per serving. Some products require 2 or more servings.Let me know if you are in need of more information as to clarification. One other item to consider. Make sure that the Omega-3 is pure and no other product is added to the fish oil.
Best wishes and thank you for your interest. Dr. Ken