Sat Nov 07 2009
Q: I am totally confused by the labels on fish oil supplements. I'm just trying to add more omega-3 fatty acids to my diet. Should I be looking at the total amount of fish oil or the amount of DHA and EPA in the fish oil? -- Anonymous
A: It seems complicated at first, but getting the omega-3s you want and need is pretty simple. Here's what to look for:
Fish Oil: Products labeled "fish oil" generally contain DHA and EPA, two different types of omega-3 fatty acids. Choose supplements that can bring you a combined total of 2,000 mg DHA plus EPA.
DHA: This is the component of fish oil that is credited with decreasing inflammation and obesity as well as protecting your heart from irregular beats, dimming the risk of depression and helping babies grow healthy brains. Fish don't manufacture this; they get it from the algae they eat.
Who's this best for? People who don't want the anticlotting effects of the EPA that comes in fish oil, or vegetarians (as long as you get DHA supplements made from algae). If you go this route, you only need a pill with 600 mg of DHA.
The words "distilled," "purified," or "metal-free." These indicate that a process has been used to remove mercury, PCBs and dioxins.
Like all good things, you can get too much if you try too hard: Megadoses of fish oil can cause bleeding problems. The effect is from EPA. This omega-3 also can interact with other medicines, so check with your doc before taking it. We know of no toxicity from DHA, and if you take it regularly, it might be easier to remember to swallow the 600 mg a day we each take of vegetarian DHA.
Q: I am 40 years old, and my hormones are probably changing. Do I have to stop taking birth-control pills? -- Jan, Victoria, Australia
A: If you don't smoke, aren't overweight and don't have high blood pressure or a history of blood clots or blood vessel disease, you don't need to stop taking the pill just because you're over age 35 (especially if you are taking two baby aspirins with half a glass of warm water before and after you swallow them). Plus, birth-control pills have useful benefits beyond preventing pregnancy, like keeping your bones strong and helping you avoid the menstrual irregularities and hot flashes that often occur before menopause. For women of all ages, the pill may also lower the risk of ovarian, uterine and possibly colon cancers.
Q: I kicked my 10-year, pack-a-day smoking habit a year ago, and I'm wondering if my lungs have recovered. Is there any way to know what shape they're in? -- Anonymous
A: First of all, congratulations on quitting. That's one of the best things you can do for your health. This is how much your body loves what you did: Your lungs began to recover within a day of stubbing out your last cigarette. The first changes -- including more oxygen passing from your lungs into your bloodstream -- happened within eight hours after quitting. Three months later, most peoples' lung function improves by about 30 percent. At nine months, that shortness of breath you thought was normal? Gone.
Want more measurable evidence of how your lungs are doing? Use this pass/fail test: Briskly run up two flights of stairs or walk six blocks. If you can do either without pausing to rest or spewing out more air than an industrial-size fan, you pass, meaning your lungs probably are in pretty good shape. If you have to stop or you become extremely short of breath, you fail, and you should see your doctor; shortness of breath means all your organs are feeling deprived.
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