Fish, fish oil, and cholesterol

In recent years, many people have taken fish oil capsules to reduce their risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fish oil lowers triglycerides but does not help lower cholesterol. However, for people who have had a recent heart attack, a small amount of fish oil capsules may reduce the risk of death from CAD.¹

There also are some significant side effects to taking fish oil capsules:

• Large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (the main type of fatty acid in fish oil) can greatly reduce the ability of the blood to clot normally.
• Fish oil can cause nausea, diarrhea, belching, and a fishy taste in the mouth.
• Taking large amounts of fish oil greatly increases the number of calories in the diet. Some suggested doses add more than 200 calories a day.
• Some studies suggest that taking large doses of fish oil can actually harm your immune system.

Because of these side effects, most doctors recommend eating 2 or 3 servings of fish per week rather than taking fish oil capsules.

Citations

1. Marchioli R, et al. (2002). Early protection against sudden death by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids after myocardial infarction. Circulation, 105(16): 1897–1903.