How many fish oil capsules should be taken to get the daily dose of 2-4 grams of Omega-3?

I've read in several sources that 2-4 grams of Omega-3 should be taken daily.

Each fish oil capsule is 1 gram, so for a long time I thought 2-4 capsules fulfilled the recommendation. However, I just realized that each capsule only contains about 30% Omega-3 fatty acids (each capsule has 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA for a total of 300mg Omega-3).

So, I'm a bit confused. When I read that 2-4 grams of Omega-3 from fish oil supplements are recommended each day, does that mean 2-4 pills daily (since each one is 1 gram), or does it really mean 6-13 pills daily (since only 30% of the fatty acids are actually Omega-3)?

None of the sources I've read addresses this, so I don't know if the recommendation is already taking into account the 30% ratio or not. In addition, I've read warnings that 3 grams or more per day can increase certain health risks. So is THAT taking into account the 30% ratio (i.e. you'd have to take 10 fish oil pills per day to reach the 3 gram threshold)?

Thanks!

JavaJoe: Sounds like I should look into getting some higher-potency fish oil supplements like yours.

I eat flax seed with breakfast every morning, too. From what I understand, the ALA in flax seed is converted by the body into the EPA and DHA (which fish oil already contains directly) at 2-15% and 2-5% efficiency, respectively. So a serving of flax seed (i.e. 60 calories, 5 grams fat) provides about 2.5 grams ALA, which equates to only 0.05 to 0.25 grams of EPA and DHA.

That's significantly less than even one of my low-potency fish oil pills contains, so I'm hesitant to rely on flax seed for EPA & DHA.

I don't know about the brand you're using, but the ones I get have a concentration of 70% EPA & DHA and 75% Omega-3. Each capsule is 1 gram, they recommend 3 a day which I take with meals so that means I'm getting 2.25 grams of Omega-3 a day.

Add to that the flax seeds that I have with my breakfast and I'm up to 4 grams a day with no problems.

Edit:

I don't rely on the Flax as much as use it to squeeze out some extra Omega-3s. You're right when you say it's not a huge amount, but it's still good for you and every little bit helps.