One of the most commonly-suggested supplements around are fish oils. They’ve been a popular recommendation ever since research suggested they were effective against cognitive decline, heart disease and arthritis.
What does the research say about fish oils though? Are omega 3’s a good thing to take, or are they a waste of time? Let’s take a look…
What is fish oil?
Fish oil is derived from oily fish such as mackerel, herring, salmon etc. It’s similar to (but not the same as) cod liver oil, which is derived directly from cod liver. The reason for taking them both is largely the same though. This means although they’re not the same product, they have similar benefits to health.
The main purpose for taking fish oil is to increase the amount of omega 3 fatty acids you’re ingesting. The reason you need to take in omega 3 fatty acids are because your body doesn’t have the ability to make them itself.
You can get omega 3 fatty acids from non-animal sources as well. Vegans for example could consume flaxseed oil, nuts of vegetable oils for the same benefits.
What does fish oil help with?
The purported benefits of fish oils are numerous. They include helping with heart function, brain function, joint health, reducing inflammation, helping control cholesterol, boosting mood and several others.
Not all of the benefits of fish oil are strongly backed by the research, so we’re going to take a look at the success rate of the supplementation. By the end of the article, we’ll have more of an idea whether or not fish oil is beneficial or a waste of time.
Does fish oil benefit cardiovascular health?
There appears to be credible research that suggests yes, there’s a credible link between fish oil intake and heart health. These benefits are repeated over several studies, so they are worth giving serious consideration to. We can see there’s benefits in people with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, so if it runs in your family, I’d consider it an important supplement.
Research published in 2001 concluded… Dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) led to a clinically important and statistically significant benefit.
A later review (from 2012) titled Fish Oil Supplementation & Coronary Artery Disease: Does It Help? concluded… PUFAs have cardiovascular benefits with a possible reduction in the incidence of all cause cardiac mortality in CAD.
Based on this research, there’s a definite case for consuming fish oils regularly.
Does fish oil benefit brain health?
The general belief for many years was that fish was ‘brain food’ and vital for our brain health. It was also linked to preventing cognitive decline, and credited with helping to improve mood and mental health.
More recently, research has cast some doubt on these claims. A review study from 2015 titled ‘Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and the brain: a review of the independent and shared effects of EPA, DPA and DHA’ concluded that… ‘Overall, a greater understanding of the individual roles of EPA, DPA and DHA in brain health, protection and repair is needed in order to make appropriate dietary recommendations and targeted therapeutic interventions.’
The suggestion was that although there might be links between low levels of omega 3 fatty acids and poor cognitive health, nobody is sure how strong they are. They might be coincidental.
The mental health benefits of fish oil supplements are inconclusive as well.
Does fish oil help to control inflammation?
This is where things get interesting. There appears to be good quality evidence supporting the role of fish oil and a reduction of inflammation. These benefits are reported across a wide range of health conditions, suggesting there are benefits in ways we hadn’t previously considered.
A review published in 2004 titled Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation concluded…
Clinically important anti-inflammatory effects in man are further suggested by trials demonstrating benefits of n-3 fatty acids in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disorders. Given the evidence relating progression of atherosclerosis to chronic inflammation, the n-3 fatty acids may play an important role via modulation of the inflammatory processes.
This research shows the benefits of fish oil will extend across many different aspects of health where inflammation plays a role.
Fish oil - what’s the verdict?
Based on the available evidence, there’s still enough reasons to take fish oil regularly - especially if you’re training frequently or suffer from cardiovascular disease. There’s also a case for taking it if you come from a family where cardiovascular disease is prevalent.
Whilst it appears fish oil isn’t the wonder substance many people thought it would be, it’s still a very useful supplement to take and one that we’d recommend.
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