Hi everyone. I'm Monica Reinagel and you're listening to the nutrition

Divas quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous and today

we're talking about omega-3 and a question you don't hear too often

is it possible to get too much of these healthy fats?

Nutrition Divaalistner Ben writes,

I found a delicious flower made from whole grains and golden flaxseed.

It provides 2,400 milligrams of omega-3s per half cup, which is a lot more than I get from my fish oil supplements.

Should I skip my fish oil on days when I eat something made with this flower?

Can you get too much omega-3?

I love the fact that Ben doesn't simply assume that if some omega-3 is good for you,

more omega-3 must be that much better for you. Go Ben. And while Ben's question seems

straightforward enough, there actually are a few different issues to consider.

Let's start with the official recommendations.

Here in the U.S. the nutrition recommendations known as the dietary reference

intakes or DRI are set by the Institute of Medicine, or IOM, which is part of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

These recommendations are supposedly based on the best available scientific evidence, and they include

recommended minimums, and for certain nutrients,

recommended maximums.

Now the DRI tend to be pretty conservative.

The recommended minimums reflect the amount that a healthy person needs to avoid overt nutrient deficiencies.

And many experts argue that the amount needed to support optimal health might be higher than the amount that you need just to keep yourself out of the hospital.

And in some cases, I think they're right.

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