It is suggested, because of studies, that a minimum daily dose of 3000 mg EPA and DHA is necessary to derive the expected benefits, although I find not all the patients need this high dosage. Once you start taking fish oil, you can expect to stay on it for a minimum of 12 weeks before it begins to yield benefits. But after that, you can stay on it definitely.

Despite the many improvements you can obtain from fish oil, I do have to say it has to be part of a total program when you’re treating rheumatoid arthritis. It’s also important to improve your diet and take steps to get rid of the toxins in your body. I’ve seen the fastest results with detoxification programs when they also involved homeopathic remedies. But fish oil is a good long-term therapy for some people, and it can absolutely help keep inflammatory conditions under control.
Although not so well-studied, essential fatty acids present in fish oil are beneficial to decrease the stiffness associated with osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis where the cartilage has degenerated.

Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for a healthy, well-functioning immune system. If you can get more omega-3 fatty acids in your daily diet and in addition take supplements, there’s a pretty good chance you can help protect yourself from certain types of cancers. Scientists now believe these EFAs could help prevent cancer and in addition slow or halt tumor growth, particularly of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Though no one knows why, preliminary research implies that omega-3s may also protect against leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and multiple myeloma (plasma cell cancer).
Animal studies have shown that fish oil can enhance certain types of chemotherapy to deal with cancer more effectively. Fish oil has also-been shown to help treat cachexia, which is the loss of muscle mass and weight in cancer patients.