Can you take Omega-3 on blood thinners?

Omega-3 has a thinning effect on the blood, so can you take it if you are on blood thinners? To learn more about testing your omega-3 level, visit: omegaquant.com/omega-3-index-complete/ (use code OQYOUTUBE10 to get 10% off your order) One of the original discoveries about omega-3 back in the Eskimo study days was that they helped thin the blood. They made the blood less likely to clot, and that's typically a good thing. That's why people are told to take a baby aspirin if they've had a heart attack, because they want to make the blood less likely to clot. Of course there's a limit to that, and there's a point beyond which too much of a blood thinner can make the blood so unable to clot that you hemorrhage, which is obviously something you don't want. So on one end, we don't want the blood to clot too quickly, inappropriately, and we don't want it to not clot, so we want it to be in the sweet spot. So the Omega threes we know, have a role in affecting what we call platelets. Blood platelets are the the first line of defense against a cut. They are the cells that will stick themselves into a hole in a cut and stop the bleeding. And the Omega threes kind of quiet down or make those platelets less sticky. So they do thin the blood. The Omega threes do thin the blood, about the same amount as aspirin does actually. And there's been some concern that people shouldn't be taking omega-3 if they're taking blood thinners. Well, that has not been supported by research. Research says that it doesn't increase your risk of bleeding if you're on omega-3 and a blood thinner. So that's OK. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration, in the information to prescribing information for the high dose omega-3 drugs, say that Omega threes do not increase risk for clinically significant bleeding. And that's certainly been the story out there. A lot of doctors still have the idea that omega-3's increased risk for bleeding, and it's unfortunately not really based in the truth of the literature. They made the blood less likely to clot, and that's typically a good thing. That's why people are told to take a baby aspirin if they've had a heart attack, because they want to make the blood less likely to clot. Of course there's a limit to that, and there's a point beyond which too much of a blood thinner can make the blood so unable to clot that you hemorrhage, which is obviously something you don't want. So on one end, we don't want the blood to clot too quickly, inappropriately, and we don't want it to not clot, so we want it to be in the sweet spot. So the Omega threes we know, have a role in affecting what we call platelets. Blood platelets are the the first line of defense against a cut. They are the cells that will stick themselves into a hole in a cut and stop the bleeding. And the Omega threes kind of quiet down or make those platelets less sticky. So they do thin the blood. The Omega threes do thin the blood, about the same amount as aspirin does actually. And there's been some concern that people shouldn't be taking omega-3 if they're taking blood thinners. Well, that has not been supported by research. Research says that it doesn't increase your risk of bleeding if you're on omega-3 and a blood thinner. So that's OK. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration, in the information to prescribing information for the high dose omega-3 drugs, say that Omega threes do not increase risk for clinically significant bleeding. And that's certainly been the story out there. A lot of doctors still have the idea that omega-3's increased risk for bleeding, and it's unfortunately not really based in the truth of the literature.