Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, one of the two main classes of essential fatty acids. (Omega-6 fatty acids are the other main type.) Alternate names for fish oild are DHA, EPA; Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Both Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Vitamin E are antioxidants, as is Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). DHA and EPA are abundant in fish oil and faxseed oil, among others. While the action of antioxidants are throughour our body, there has been a lot of attention recently on the effect, or should I say benefits, of EPA, DHA and Vitamin E on the cardiovascular system, especially on its activity on the bad cholesterol. Let me put the record straight here: Fish oil does not significantly improve your cholesterol level. This is yet to be proven. It makes a small dent but is not sufficient enough to reduce LDL cholesterol level significantly.

Antioxidants, including Vitamin C and A, also play a vital role in protection and regeneration of soft tissues, improving the immune system, “blood cleaning properties” and also in improving your skin condition.

Without knowing details such as health level and history, intent to use and related information, it is difficult for me to give specific answers to address different needs. Therefore, let me highlight some general guidelines before you provide me with more information on yourself.

First of all, it is safe to take EPA and Vit E together, as long as your dose for EPA (Vita EPA) is 3000mg to 9000mg (I suggest 1000mg to 3000mg) and 400iu for Vitamin E. In order to match the dosage used in several major studies, you should take enough fish oil to supply about 1.8 g of EPA (1,800 mg) and 0.9 g of DHA daily (900 mg). This is important as different supplemets have different quantities of the substance.

Second, since both these agents are antioxidants, I usually recommend that you choose one that you are comfortable with. You would expect to see the same level of outcome, assuming you are 25 to 40 years old and are in generally good health.

Third, there is a lack of evidence that EPA, DHA and Vitamin E can be used for the treatment of a specific ailment. There are contradictory evidence, and the jury is still out there for the final word on EPA and Vitamin E.

Finally, I prefer to initiate (or recommend) Vitamin E or DHA/EPA to patients with heart disease (heart failure, cardiomyopathy and dyslipidemia), diabetes and hypertension. I also like to suggest it for anyone above 50 years old. So if you fit any of the profile discussed above, you may want to choose one that suits you, though there is no harm in taking both. One observation that I have made is that fish oil has the additional property of improving osteoarthritis or joint pains in older patients, which is why I prefer to recommend fish oil to them rather than Vitamin E.

Having said that, my mother takes Vitamin E 400iu on a daily basis. She is 48, has high cholesterol level and is hypertensive, although well controlled with medication. Vit E and EPA/DHA is not a substitute to bring down your cholesterol level.