Omega 3 Fish Oil - Does it help with TTC?

Has anyone had any experiences with taking Omega 3 fish oil when trying to conceive?

What is it supposed to do and how much/when should it be taken?

I haven't heard of any link between Omega 3 and fertility/conception - its generally taken to help with joint problems, skin problems and to help people lose bodyfat.


Here is some info from Worlds Healthiest Foods:

What can high-omega-3 foods do for you?

Reduce inflammation throughout your body
Keep your blood from clotting excessively
Maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes
lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream
decrease platelet aggregation, preventing excessive blood clotting
inhibit thickening of the arteries by decreasing endothelial cells' production of a platelet-derived growth factor (the lining of the arteries is composed of endothelial cells)
increase the activity of another chemical derived from endothelial cells (endothelium-derived nitric oxide), which causes arteries to relax and dilate
reduce the production of messenger chemicals called cytokines, which are involved in the inflammatory response associated with atherosclerosis
reduce the risk of becoming obese and improve the body's ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and is expressed primarily by adipocytes (fat cells)
help prevent cancer cell growth

My chinese medicine man told me to steer well clear of the fish oil when TTC and whilst pg. Must find out the reason, but I believe anything that man says cause he got me pg and so far so good. Well he didn't get me pg so to speak, but you know what I mean...LOL..

My acupuncturist told me today that I should increase my intake of fish oil/omega 3. Apparently there are two types of fish oil though and you have to be careful. One of them comes from the liver of the fish and has retinol A which is bad. But the other one is from the body of the fish and has DHA which is essential for development of a babies brain and eye deveolpment. She said that instead of fish oil you can use linseed oil though. Her recommendation was to just sprinkle some linseed oil onto a salad :)

Krystie_B - Hmm, maybe we have different issues with our bodies. My problem was my body temp was too low and also had weak kidneys from previous m/c's.

Hi Nicambhar, I wonder if the reason you have been told to steer clear of fish oils is because some supplements can contain toxins, and if your kidneys are not 100% you wouldn't want to be adding any additional work for them by increasing your toxin intake. Would omega 3 supplements or linseed oil be ok for you to take as a replacement?

I'm a vegetarian so can't comment much on the fish oil thing... but I think omega oils can possibly help. I was taking (and I am again) flaxseed oil capsules for my omega but the month before getting pregnant I switched to Udo's Choice oil. This is a very well formulated omega oil you can buy from health food stores. I'm really not sure if it made a difference to conception but it had been recommended to me by a friend who swears it is the secret to getting everything going and aiding conception :lol:

Kristy - not sure but I think it has something to do with it being either too cool or too warm for my body. I must ask him the reason why next time I go in. There is so much to take in when I see him that I just scribble notes of what to eat/take and what not to eat/take.. LOL, but I aint compaining.