Does Fish Oil really work? The truth behind common health supplement

When it comes to deciding what to eat and which supplements to take to try and look and feel our best, there’s no shortage of options or advice out there on the market. From biotin supplements to support hair and nail health, through to probiotics to improve digestion, there’s virtually a recommendation for every problem and every body part out there - with one of the most popular recommendations for a variety of reasons, being Omega 3.

The naturally occurring fatty acids are a group of three important types of fat: ALA, DHA, and EPA, and getting enough of each type is thought to be crucial to boosting the health of your retinas, brain, and other parts of your body. Although there are plenty of sources of omega-3, such as flax seeds, chia seeds, and even walnuts, one of the most common ways to up your intake is through fatty fish, or fish oil.

Fish oil first entered the spotlight back in 1970, when two Danish researchers travelled to Greenland to investigate a nutritional paradox: The Inuit people living in the region consumed foods very high in fat, yet reportedly had very low rates of heart attacks, reports The New York Times.

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As the Inuit diet typically consisted of eating fatty foods such as whale and seal meat, which many people believed was unhealthy at the time, scientists were suddenly intrigued by the findings that discovered Inuits in Greenland had lower levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides than neighbouring Denmark.

This led experts to suggest that the lower rates of heart attacks and improved cholesterol levels were due to a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, which are concentrated in fish and the animals that eat them.

Following the discovery, a major boom in research saw countless scientific and commercial studies into the role Omega-3 could play in heart health, even despite further studies having later revealed that the level of heart disease in the Inuit population was similar to rates routinely found in Europe and the United States!

Yet even with the conflicting findings, today Omega-3 supplements continue to be one of the most popular dietary supplements and unlike several others on the market, fish oil in particular has been rigorously studied for the best part of 50 years, with experts still unable to agree on whether or not the supplement is actually beneficial.

In fact, some research has suggested that taking additional fish oil supplements could even be dangerous, as it has been linked to a slightly increased risk of developing the heart condition known as atrial fibrillation, a specific type of irregular heart beat that if left untreated can cause blood clots and possibly even a stroke.

So should you actually take fish oil supplements?

As experts and in particular cardiologists continue to argue over whether or not it’s recommended to take fish oil supplements, one consensus among both sides of the camp, is that it’s far better to get omega-3s from fish itself than from fish oil. Not only does it offer an ample boost of omega-3, it also provides protein, vitamins and minerals, all of which are necessary for our overall health.

The Association of UK Dieticians also advises against taking any omega-3 supplements as they are not recommended in the UK general population due to inconclusive evidence of the benefit.

However, if you do wish to supplement your intake, they suggest adhering to the following advice:

• Choose omega-3 rather than fish liver oil

• Check the vitamin A content - you should not have more than a total of 1.5mg vitamin A (1500ug) a day from food and supplements combined

• Do not take supplements containing vitamin A if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant

• Check labels for DHA and EPA content

• Choose a supplement that provides you with the same daily amount provided by eating one to two portions of fish per week (about 450mg EPA and DHA per daily adult dose)

• Choose an age-appropriate supplement – children will need less than adults

• Seek advice from a dietitian if in doubt

If you are concerned about your heart health and hoping to improve it, another more conclusive method of boosting your health could be to follow the Mediterranean diet, which includes regular servings of fish, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes, and has been widely recommended by many doctors around the world.

For more help and support regarding your diet or health, visit the NHS here , or speak to your GP.