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Are You Getting Enough Omega-3 Fats?

Summary: Is there a certain amount of omega-3s you should be aiming for?
Air Date: 2/10/15
Duration: 10
Host: Mike Smith, MD
Guest Bio: Bill Harris, PhD
Dr Bill HarrisDr. Bill Harris is an internationally recognized expert on omega-3 fatty acids and how they can benefit patients with heart disease.

He obtained his PhD in Human Nutrition from the University of Minnesota, and did post-doctoral fellowships in Clinical Nutrition and Lipid Metabolism with Dr. Bill Connor at the Oregon Health Sciences University. His interest in omega-3 fatty acids began with his postdoctoral work when he published his first study on the effects of salmon oil on serum lipids in humans (1980).

Since that time he has been the recipient of five NIH grants for studies on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) on human health. He has over 190 publications relating to omega-3 fatty acids in medical literature and was an author on two American Heart Association scientific statements on fatty acids: "Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease" (2002), and "Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease" (2009) both published in the journal Circulation.

Dr. Harris is a Senior Scientist at Health Diagnostic Laboratory; a Professor in the Department of Medicine, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota; and the President and CEO of OmegaQuant.
Are You Getting Enough Omega-3 Fats?
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are essential for a healthy life, as they promote healthy brain function, lower heart disease risk and reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes.

Omega-3 fatty acids are typically found in fish, but can also be found in supplements.

Whether you've read up on the benefits or have been told by your doctor to add omega-3s into your diet, how do you know if your own personal omega-3 levels are high enough?

If you're someone who isn't trying to lower triglyceride levels, it's suggested you take 500-1,000 milligrams of omega-3's a day. To find out if doing so is actually giving you any benefit, you can ask your doctor to have a blood test done on your red blood cells.

Dr. Bill Harris joins Dr. Mike to discuss the amazing benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as how to know if you're getting enough.