The key fatty acids in Omega-3 are essential fatty acids, so we must take in these fatty acids by coordinating our food intake with our body’s Omega-3 requirement. Different health organizations provide different answers to the question of how much Omega-3 fatty acid you need to ingest on a daily basis. The recommended daily allowance of DHA and EPA they recommend varies from some 200 to 500 mg per day for a healthy adult.
The Dutch Nutrition Centre advises adults to ingest 200 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids per day, for example.
Our standard diet, however, is often not able to provide this quantity of Omega-3. If you want to come close to obtaining the recommended daily amount of DHA and EPA through your food intake, you can best eat one portion of (fatty) fish per week, according to the Nutrition Centre. The World Gastroenterology Organisation even recommends 3 to 5 portions of fish per week in order to take in sufficient quantities of DHA and EPA.Â
However, fish is not a part of the weekly diet for many of us, otherwise 90% of the population would not be faced with a shortage of Omega-3.
In order to make up for this shortage, many people resort to dietary supplements. This explains the popularity of fish oil capsules, the best known Omega-3 dietary supplements on the market.
To support health in combination with a healthy diet, we recommend 1 capsule per day. 1 Omega-3 capsule per day is equivalent to eating 2 fatty fish a week. In some cases, therapists recommend larger amounts. The EFSA (EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY ASSOCIATION) advises not to take more than 5 grams of Omega-3 per day. 10 capsules of Testa Omega-3 contain 4.5 grams of Omega-3 in total.
Dietary supplements should not replace a varied and healthy diet.