Unlike other supplements, fish oil has been thoroughly studied, says Joan Munson, a professor at Harvard Medical School. But the results have been mixed, and researchers and doctors are still debating whether fish oil is good for heart health. It’s also been found that taking fish oil slightly increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.
The evidence is now here regarding both the benefits and risks of fish oil.
Extensive research, but benefits unknown
After reading the reports from Greenland, researchers began looking at people in other parts of the world. Further researchIt was found that people who eat fish at least once a week are less likely to die from coronary heart disease than those who rarely eat fish. Animal experimentationDr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food and Medicine Institute at Tufts University, said he has found that fish oil helps keep electrical signals in heart cells functioning properly.
“These findings have had a huge impact,” said Dr. Christine Albert, chief of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, adding that it’s reasonable to hope that taking fish oil in supplement form might have a similar effect.
However, most clinical trials of fish oil capsules have not reported a reduction in deaths from heart disease or cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. 2018 meta-analysis They combined the results of 10 omega-3 trials involving about 78,000 people. Similarly, the researchers reported that omega-3s offer no overall benefit to heart health. 2018 trial More than 15,000 adults with type 2 diabetes were followed for an average of seven years. 2019 Trial More than 25,000 adults aged 50 and over were followed for an average of five years. 2020 Trials High doses of omega-3 fatty acids were tested in over 13,000 people at risk for cardiovascular disease.
“Study after study has shown absolutely no effect,” said Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic who led the 2020 trials. Published in 2018showed significant benefits from high doses of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA, but has been widely criticized for its use of mineral oil. Increases risk of heart disease“It has the same effect as a placebo,” Dr. Nissen said.
