Should one supplement with cod oil?

[yuli]

From what I learned so far, grain raised animals, organic or not, have too much omega-6.
Although I do try to get grassfed sometimes I get grain-fed because it is cheaper, or that's what the store has that looks good or most appetizing.

So should I supplement with a high quality cod or krill oil when I do eat the grain-fed meat? Would that balance it out a bit?
And if so then how much oil do I take with for example an average sized grain-fed steak?

[kurite]

It would take quite a bit of fish oil supplement in order to get to a proper omega 3 to omega 6 ratio after eating non grass fed beef. Have you tried finding local farmers that grow grass fed beef?
Try this website:
http://www.eatwild.com/
Its helped me a lot.

[yuli]

well I got curious so I checked http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3689/2
and an "all-grades" raw chuck roast (calculating for a 6oz steak) has
61.6(*6)= 369.6 mg - omega-3 and
132(*6)= 792 mg - omega-6
...so then I will need about 422.4 mg of omega-3 to balance it.

According to label on Calson Cod Oil ( http://www.swansonvitamins.com/CSN009/ItemDetail )
5ml of oil has 1100mg omega-3 fatty acids (which is a teaspoon)

So that means I should take about half a teaspoon with a small steak.
I have drank this stuff in shots before since I like the taste, I don't think a teaspoon of cod oil a day is much at all.

[kurite]

You din't take into account the omega 6 in cod oil. And I can't say I know for sure but I think nutritiondata is wrong. Generally non grass-fed beef has a omega 6 to 3 ratio of more like 4:1? In your calculations its closer to 2:1.
 
http://www.themonkeyclub.org/2008/03/is-omega-6omega-3-ratio-of-beef.html

[goodsamaritan]

If you have access to fresh raw fatty fish, that would give you all you the Omega 3 you need: tuna, blue marlin, etc.

[yuli]

kurite:

That is true, I forgot to account for omega-6 in the oil...but that seems pretty negligible :
1 teaspoon has about 40-50 mg, a small fraction of the ratio...

And with the grain-fed beef I guess it depends where you get it from, some may have more omega-6 some less.
But even if it has twice the amount that nutritiondata states like you say, and plus the tiny amount in the oil,
then I can just take 2 tablespoons (cod liver oil) on a day eating grain fed meat and the ratio would still be ok.

goodsamaritan:

I often gorge on salmon, red tuna, trout and marlin (not sure which kind but the meat looks light red), sometimes I eat the farmed one if they don't have wild, yes it's more "polluted" but its still pretty good for you and I never felt sick from eating farmed raw fish (maybe some farms are better then others), quite the opposite actually, fish makes up for 30% to 50% of my meat meals...If I lived in the right place I'd make it more like 80-90% That's why I think it makes sense to drink fish oil if you eat a lot of meat other than fish or no fish, because even grass-fed meats and game meats can have a much higher omega-6 then omega-3.