Omega-3

Studies suggest that having enough omega-3 in your body can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and one of the reasons for this is that it may lower your cholesterol levels.

It’s suggested that omega-3 can increase the amount of good cholesterol in your blood, which in turn can decrease the amount of bad cholesterol.

However, you might only notice a decrease in your cholesterol levels if your bad cholesterol is already quite high, and you’re including a good amount of omega-3 in your diet and supplements.

You can get a source of omega-3 from the food you eat, like eating fish twice a week, or by taking a supplement.

Not only does it contribute to your eye health and brain function, but it may even reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Omega-3 may even promote mental health benefits, from preventing anxiety and depression to reducing the symptoms of ADHD in children according to some studies.

Yes, you can overdose on vitamins and supplements, so it’s important to take care with the supplements you’re taking.

You should not take more than one multivitamin a day.

These products will often contain the same vitamins and this can lead to you accidentally taking too much.

If you’re taking a multivitamin, you should also be very careful if you’re taking any separate singular supplements, such as a vitamin d supplement — you could end up taking too much if these overlap.

You can find out which vitamins and minerals are in your supplements by checking the nutritional values table on the packaging, so make sure you’re never doubling up on any nutrients.

If you have any concerns, make sure to speak to your doctor or pharmacist, just in case.

Cod liver oil is a supplement that contains omega-3 along with vitamin A and D, whilst omega-3 supplements by themselves typically will only contain omega-3.

Both omega-3 and cod liver oil supplements contain the important fatty acids which help you to maintain a healthy heart, amongst other benefits.

If you’re taking omega-3 supplements, the NHS recommends that you should avoid cod liver oil as you’d be taking more than what your body needs to function as it should.

If you’re looking to reap the benefits of other vitamins as well as healthy fats, cod liver oil might be for you - you should stay clear if you’re pregnant, however, as too much vitamin A can be very harmful to your baby.