re: #19 retired cynic

Great. I was told to use fish oil supplements by a doctor years and years ago, and I have been faithful. And now have a-fib and have had a lot of (fortunately) small strokes.

As noted in the article, if your physician recommends fish oil supplements, you should get prescription-version ones. They are far more expensive than over-the-counter, but they are regulated by the FDA for purity and efficacy.

OTC supplements are not regulated by the FDA.

They also recommend you buy them directly from the manufacturer if you’re buying supplements, and not from sites like Amazon or big box warehouse stores like Costco or Wal*Mart (as they store their inventory in warehouses which are not regulated for temperature, and high heat breaks down Omega-3 into ineffective oils).

Failing that, they recommend eating foods which contain the oil and are lower in mercury (only albacore tuna and not other varieties but no more than two times a week, sardines, wild-caught salmon (farmed salmon are often farmed in polluted water), &c.

They also recommend buying finger-stick test kits on-line which are inexpensive and test for Omega-3. One should not take Omega-3 if you’re levels are normal.