I'm usually quite skeptical of the promises of salvation made by vitamin capsules and so-called 'functional foods' (over-sugared probiotic drinks, over-sugared high-fiber breakfast cereals, omega-6-heavy margarines, etc.).

One of the few dietary supplements that, according to current knowledge, seems likely to have a variety of positive effects on health would be omega-3 fish oil (more precisely: its components EPA and DHA).

However, a brief search reveals that it is practically impossible to achieve the dosage required for a significant health-promoting effect with the fish oils and capsules available in Switzerland.

After researching a large number of English-language sources on the subject (e.g. en-Wikipedia), I have come to the conclusion that the key omega-3 components (EPA and DHA) should ideally be taken in a combined dosage of 1000-3000mg per day.

(Incidentally, the 'correct' ratio of EPA to DHA still seems to have been little researched - in good natural sources of omega 3 (e.g. mackerel) DHA tends to predominate, in capsules mostly EPA).

There are countless fish oils and capsules available abroad with which this dosage could be achieved without any problems. For some unknown reason, however, the omega-3 oils and capsules offered in Switzerland are so low in dosage (and at the same time so expensive) that it is practically impossible to achieve a dosage of 1000-3000mg (EPA+DHA).

The actilife fish oil capsules from Migros, for example, offer 300mg (EPA+DHA) per recommended daily ration of two capsules. At the same time, however, two capsules already contain 100% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin E - so that overdosing on your own does not seem advisable (too much vitamin E is problematic for a number of reasons).

Migros is not alone here - there is nothing sensible in the drugstore either. Perhaps there are legal reasons for this (drug approval etc.) that I am not aware of? (A pharmacist told me that the officially recommended dose in Switzerland is 250mg per day).

It would be great if someone from the Migipedia team could comment on this. What is the problem? Who is responsible for such guidelines and could revise them if necessary? Or am I perhaps completely wrong with 1000g-3000mg/day?

It would be even better if Migros could sooner or later offer a high-quality fish oil with a high DHA and EPA content (in liquid form, relatively tasteless, certified by independent laboratories, micro-filtered with a low mercury content).

Until then, we'll be eating canned mackerel, tuna steak and raw salmon a little more often...

Thanks in advance for the information!

M-Simon