Is It Possible To Get Too Many Omega-3 Fatty Acids? Experts Weigh In

While there aren't any official recommendations for daily intake of total omega-3s, many health organizations certainly provide helpful guidelines for the amount of EPA and DHA we should be getting on a daily basis. As the name suggests, these marine omega-3s EPA and DHA are found from marine sources, such as seafood (especially fatty fish), crustaceans (krill), and algae.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming two servings (approximately 8 ounces) of fish per week to support heart health, which equates to about 250 to 500 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day.* Most American diets are seriously missing out on these important marine omega-3s—so much so that only 10% of adults in the U.S.1 are reaching 500 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day. 

The bulk of research on the health benefits of omega-3s demonstrates EPA and DHA are the most helpful in achieving cardioprotective benefits—not to mention the work they do for eye health2, the brain, and more.* 

In addition to recommending two servings of oily, higher fat fish per week, our country's preeminent heart-health organization, the American Heart Association3, indicates that 1,000 milligrams (i.e., 1 gram) or more of EPA plus DHA a day delivers significant cardioprotective benefits4.* Meanwhile, the FDA considers products containing 800 milligrams or more of EPA and DHA per serving to help reduce the risk for hypertension and coronary heart disease5.†  

It's important to first point out there's no upper limit for the amount of omega-3s you consume, so keep packing your meals with these healthy fatty acids!

mbg's own director of scientific affairs, Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, puts it this way: "Just like there aren't 'upper limits' for carbs or protein, omega-3s are a healthy fat for which assigning a ceiling for the general population doesn't make good sense. Per the science, there is no reason to tiptoe around omega-3 fats, just like you wouldn't tiptoe around avocados or olive oil. These are healthy fats that deserve a prominent place in every dietary pattern."

As far as supplements go, there is technically an upper ceiling for how much EPA and DHA we should get—but it's much, much higher than you'd think (and not a concern at all at clinically efficacious doses). 

Clinical research has revealed that it's safe to take up to 10 grams (10,000 milligrams) of EPA and DHA a day—that's over 20 times the recommended minimum intake (i.e., two servings of fish per week equals approximately 500 milligrams of EPA plus DHA daily). For context, most fish oil supplements offer 250 to 1,800 milligrams of EPA and DHA per daily serving, meaning you'd have to take 10 to 40 servings a day to reach potentially dangerous levels (i.e., a silly high amount).

Speaking of the alleged health concerns surrounding omega-3s, let's address the concern that taking a fish oil supplement may result in blood thinning and reduce blood clotting. While evidence shows that omega-3s naturally have a positive biological effect on platelets, blood thinning is not a concern at the dosage that omega-3 supplements provide—or even the outrageously high (yet completely safe) intake of 10 grams per day, for that matter.

Eager to address this fish oil folklore, Ferira explains that the past 30 years of epidemiologic and clinical trial research demonstrates, from multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses, that there's no increased risk for bleeding.

"Even if you wanted to be incredibly conservative and apply a random safety factor of two, and make that daily max 5 grams (5,000 milligrams) of EPA plus DHA, those are not omega-3 levels that supplements provide. Period," Ferira notes.