{"id":7852,"date":"2016-07-25T06:35:17","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T11:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/?p=7852"},"modified":"2022-03-21T14:58:56","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T19:58:56","slug":"fish-oil-finally-solid-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/25\/fish-oil-finally-solid-answers","title":{"rendered":"Fish Oil: Finally Some Solid Answers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the 1970s, epidemiologic<\/a> studies discovered that Inuit (the indigenous people of the Arctic regions Canada, Alaska, and Greenland), whose diet was extremely rich in fish, had a much lower rate of heart disease than Americans and Europeans. Scientists attributed this to the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in fish, which seemed to protect and stabilize the delicate membranes that surround every cell in the body, especially those in the heart and brain. Later studies, which tracked fish consumption per capita against development of heart disease and fatal heart attacks, showed the Japanese, who eat far more fish than Americans and Europeans, also enjoyed a lower rate of heart disease deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now it\u2019s 40 years later and fish oil<\/a> is the top-selling nutritional supplement in the Western world. Unless you are a strict vegetarian, if you\u2019re reading this Health Tip you most likely take (or at least own) a bottle of fish oil capsules. Many of you have told me you buy them but, because of the unpleasant fish-burp, let them sit in your vitamin graveyard gathering dust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the many research studies that followed the earliest ones were not particularly dramatic. They attempted to see if daily fish oil capsules provided the same heart protection enjoyed by the blubber-chewing Inuit or sushi-eating Japanese, but the conclusions were variations of \u201cYeah, maybe, not sure really, won\u2019t hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone did agree, however, that collecting data for meaningful studies was problematic, especially for a condition like heart disease that involves a constellation of variables beyond fish consumption. You had to factor in exercise, diet, tobacco use, blood pressure, and family history as well as what fish had been eaten and how was it prepared. Moreover, as the studies progressed, researchers noted two things. First, that people taking fish oil supplements took better care of their overall health and, second, that people who ate a lot of fish didn\u2019t get further heart benefits by pushing up their blood levels of omega-3 by taking fish oil capsules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if a person never supplemented with fish oil, if she had a good amount of omega-3 in her blood from her diet she was well protected from early heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of these studies were also flawed because people as a rule don\u2019t accurately remember what they\u2019ve eaten. Those reporting \u201cI eat fish once a week\u201d would, when they kept an actual food diary, turn out to have actually eaten fish just once a month. It turned out that huge numbers of both Americans and Europeans virtually never ate any fish, or limited themselves to deep-fried versions (deep frying reduces the omega-3 content by 85%). It was in this virtually omega-3-free group that regularly taken fish oil capsules might have some meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just last month, an immense analysis of previously collected data<\/a> was published in the June issue of JAMA Internal Medicine<\/em>, and it finally puts the fish oil matter to rest. Researchers reviewed 19 epidemiologic studies from 16 countries, a total of 45,637 individuals, to determine if fish oil actually makes a difference in health and longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is yes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you eat non-deep-fried, oily fish two or three times a week, you probably have levels of omega-3 in your blood high enough to protect you from a fatal heart attack. If you don\u2019t eat this amount, then a couple of high-quality fish oil supplements taken daily will cover you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it\u2019s definitely important to differentiate \u201cfatal heart attack\u201d from \u201cheart disease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone dies of a heart attack, either on the street or within a few days of arriving in the hospital, the killer is usually a major disturbance of heart rhythm (called an arrhythmia), either ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF). With VT, the person might get warning signs, like lightheadedness, palpitations, and shortness of breath. These occur because the affected person feels her heart rhythm change and the output of blood from her heart suddenly drop. VF, on the other hand, unless quickly converted to a normal rhythm, is fatal. With VF, there\u2019s no blood being pumped from the heart and the person quickly loses consciousness and dies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish oil, which increases omega-3 blood levels, protects against fatal arrhythmias. Chronic coronary heart disease (CHD) is a much slower process. It\u2019s with CHD that you may experience chest pain with exertion (angina), shortness of breath (congestive heart failure), and other heart rhythm abnormalities (such as atrial fibrillation). These are called benign arrhythmias because they\u2019re rarely associated with sudden death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boosting omega-3s with fish oil may be helpful, but the stats aren\u2019t dramatic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a summary of what we know about fish oil and heart disease:<\/p>\n\n\n\n