In today’s Globe and Mail newspaper there’s an article titled “Health benefits of fish overblown” (Health L1, L4).  It describes our romance with Omeg-3 fatty acids and the resulting overconsumption of fish. We’ve all heard this before, and you’re thinking I’m about to rant about the flip side of this argument - that fish contains high levels of mercury, blah blah blah…so stop the overkill. But that’s not my point.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The greater (OM) point is this – we hear how beneficial something is and BAM! we get on the bandwagon and make that leap from eating it based on our needs to eating it to the point of extinction. Our logic gives way to the mainstream hype that ‘giving a person a fish for a day will make them healthy; giving them 5 fish will make them healthier”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        OM supporters know better. In a 2002 double-blind placebo controlled study of 70 depressed patients who received ranges of omega-3 acids for 12 weeks, the results showed that the 1 gram EPA group had a significantly better outcome than the placebo, the 2 grams or the 4 grams of EPA groups. Surprise!!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Taking responsibility for your health means having a professional check your biochemistry BEFORE you overdose on anything, especially fish and fish oil that are part of our fragile ecosystem.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Reference: Peet M, Horrobin DF., “A dose-ranging study of the effects of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in patients with ongoing depression despite apparently adequate treatment with standard drugs.”  Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002. Oct;59(10):913-91.