Fish Oil - important?

[Techo]

Hi all,

This question popped up the other night while I was talking w/my wife. She is currently getting a 2yr degree in diet - will go on for 4yr in sport medicine. After reading a recent post here about a very decent online source for fish oil, I told her I was planning on ordering some. She whipped out her text book that bascially said it is a common misconception that fish oil supplements are beneficial. I can get the book title and actual quote later, but I don't have it with me at the moment. It was quite shocking, but it was certainly there...

Then I realized that everything I've "heard" about fish oil was just that - just "heard somewhere".

Do we have some hardcore studies on this topic? I tried to search pubmed but got like 3000 hits...

Thanks!

 

[stevie]

Quote[/b] ]text book that bascially said it is a common misconception that fish oil supplements are beneficial

you will have to give us more details than that for anyone to make a decent comment.

Does this book propose that fish oil is bad? or simply irrelevant?

what reasons does it give for its comments?

The general concensus amongst practically everyone is that getting more essential fatty acids (EFA) into the typical 'modern diet' is a good thing. Since fish contain relatively high amounts of the EFAs we dont get from most other fat sources, including some fish, such as salmon and sardines, into the diet on a regular basis is the general recommendation.

You have to ask yourself what you hope to gain by taking the fish oil supplement. If you are only interested in the health benefits, then simply eating more real fish will probably do the job.
If you are after the other benefits, such as joint health and/or nutrient partitioning effects, then you will need higer doses. Realistically that would only be acheived by using a fish oil supplement...although i cant remember dosing specifics.

 

[Mindwraith]

The American Heart Association currently recommends on their website either/or, either a number of ounces of fish per day or supplements. It does not show any real indication of discouraging supplements. This is only for hearth healthy benifits. Like stevie said, there are further studies that indicate fish oil helps with partitioning, this also occurs possibly more so with CLA (conjugated linolic acid).

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632

In some people with blood disorders its a good idea to keep it low dosage, otherwise you're ok to take more.

"Randomized clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can reduce cardiovascular events (death, non-fatal heart attacks, non-fatal strokes). They can also slow the progression of atherosclerosis in coronary patients. However, more studies are needed to confirm and further define the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplements for preventing a first or subsequent cardiovascular event. For example, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials are needed to document the safety and efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplements in high-risk patients (those with type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension and smokers) and coronary patients on drug therapy. Mechanistic studies on their apparent effects on sudden death also are needed."

Keep in mind, supplements are just that, they're to boost the amount of something you don't normally get enough of. They don't cure anything or make you invulnerable or able to lose fat by sitting on the couch. They do however help as an assist when you put the work into getting a mostly balanced diet and exercise depending on what type of exercise and how much. I dont get a lot of fish in my diet, except tuna, and not even enough of that. I simply don't like fish that much so I'm sort of forced to take supps. I also don't get enough vitamin C, I drink 1 cup of orange juice a day but that puts me at just enough not to get scurvy. When you get sick or catch something your body needs to fight off, it demands more than the RDA to fight it off, so having it readily available in your system helps it kill off whatever you caught hopefully before you feel the symptoms. Its more for prevention than anything, like wearing a seat belt...it wont prevent an accident but it may save your butt from pain. I could be talking straight out of my butt though but I think I'm right on target.

 

[micmic]

There are a lot of studies showing beneficial effects of fish oil, I can list some if you need them. One concern I've seen being raised is that although it decreases triglyceride levels, fish oil supplementation may somewhat increase LDL. IIRC, with fish oil + garlic capsules the effect of decreasing triglycerides remained whithout increased LDL.

 

[Aaron_F]

Quote[/b] (micmic @ Mar. 26 2004,9:27)]There are a lot of studies showing beneficial effects of fish oil, I can list some if you need them. One concern I've seen being raised is that although it decreases triglyceride levels, fish oil supplementation may somewhat increase LDL. IIRC, with fish oil + garlic capsules the effect of decreasing triglycerides remained whithout increased LDL.

Usually happens in hypercholesteraemia, when they add the fishoils without any change in other dietary fats.
They will still decrease their risk of CHD, if just by the anti-thrombogenic actions.