Latest Research
- In otherwise healthy persons, fish oil was found to prevent excessive aggression in times of stress. [1] [2]
- Fish oil has been shown to cause an increase in memory (working and episodic) formation and retention. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
- Fish oil was shown to be significantly effective in reducing depression in severely depressed patients when taken alongside a proven antidepressant (combination therapy). [8] [9] [10]
- Fish oil has been found to reduce risk of stroke, particularly in elderly persons. [11]
- Fish oil has been demonstrated to lower risk of developing dementia and preserve brain mass over time. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
- Fish oil reduces triglyceride levels (risk factor for cardiovascular disease when elevated) with pharmaceutical-grade potency after several weeks of supplementation. The reduction in triglycerides is based on dosage, and it is more significant in people with high baseline triglycerides, quantified in the 15-30% range. [17] [18]
- Fish oil has been associated with cardioprotection (a 70% decrease in total mortality) due to the normalization of the omega 3:6 ratio. [19] [20]
- Fish oil has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes due to the normalization of the omega 3:6 ratio. [21] [22] [23]
- Daily supplementation with 2g fish oil (300mg EPA, 400mg DHA) in cancer patients for 8 weeks was shown to reverse the chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (a condition affecting the body's ability to fight off bacterial infections). [24]
- High-dose fish oil supplementation was found to increase reproductive lifespan in women of normal weight. [25]
- Due to the normalization of the omega 3:6 ratio, fish oil has been demostrated to confer significant protection against loss of vision caused by the pathology of retinal angiogenesis. [26] [27] [28] [29]
- Fish oil supplementation at 4g daily beneficially affects kidney function in those with diabetes. [30]
- Fish oil supplementation was demonstrated to reduce risk of skin cancer. [31]
- Fish oil was shown to reduce symptoms associated with lupus. [32]
- Fish oil has been demonstrated to protect the skin against sunlight. [33] [34]
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How to Take
Fish oil doses vary depending on the goal of supplementation. The American Heart Association recommends 1g daily. If the goal of supplementation is to reduce soreness, a 6g dose, spread over the course of a day, will be effective. Fish oil can be taken throughout the day. "Fish burp" taste can be avoided by consuming fish oil with food or freezing the capsules before supplementation.Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions
- Fish oil and curcumin have synergistic effect in suppressing inflammation and breast cancer cell proliferation
- Fish oil supplementation works synergistically with statin drugs, in terms of improving cardiometabolic parameters.
Safety Information
Toxicity and Side Effects
Fish oil is LIKELY SAFE in low doses (3 grams or less per day). High doses of fish oil should be taken under medical supervision.Special Precautions And Warnings
Taking more than 3 grams per day might keep blood from clotting and can increase the chance of bleeding. High doses of fish oil might also reduce the body's ability to fight infection. This is a special concern for people taking medications to reduce their immune system's activity (organ transplant patients, for example) and the elderly. Taking fish oil might increase some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression. There is some concern that fish oil might further increase the risk of getting cancer in people with familial adenomatous polyposis. Some people who are allergic to fish might also be allergic to fish oil supplements.Drug Interactions
- Birth control pills might interfere with the triglyceride-lowering effects of fish oil.
- Using fish oil with drugs that lower blood pressure may increase the effects of these drugs and may lower blood pressure too much. Some medications for high blood pressure include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL), furosemide (Lasix), and many others.
- Fish oil and orlistat (Xenical, Alli) should be taken at least 2 hours apart to prevent orlistat's interference with absorption of the beneficial fatty acids in fish oil.
References
[1] Hamazaki T, et al. The effect of docosahexaenoic acid on aggression in young adults. A placebo-controlled double-blind study. J Clin Invest. (1996)[2] Hamazaki T, et al. The effect of docosahexaenoic acid on aggression in elderly Thai subjects--a placebo-controlled double-blind study. Nutr Neurosci. (2002)
[3] Narendran R., et al. Improved Working Memory but No Effect on Striatal Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Type 2 after Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation. PLoS ONE (2012)
[4] Stonehouse W, et al. DHA supplementation improved both memory and reaction time in healthy young adults: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. (2013)
[5] Fontani G, et al. Cognitive and physiological effects of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Invest. (2005)
[6] Chiu CC, et al. The effects of omega-3 fatty acids monotherapy in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment: a preliminary randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. (2008)
[7] Stough C, et al. The effects of 90-day supplementation with the omega-3 essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on cognitive function and visual acuity in a healthy aging population. Neurobiol Aging. (2012)
[8] Su KP, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids for major depressive disorder during pregnancy: results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry. (2008)
[9] Nemets B, Stahl Z, Belmaker RH. Addition of omega-3 fatty acid to maintenance medication treatment for recurrent unipolar depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. (2002)
[10] Peet M, Horrobin DF. A dose-ranging study of the effects of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in patients with ongoing depression despite apparently adequate treatment with standard drugs. Arch Gen Psychiatry. (2002)
[11] Mozaffarian D, et al. Fish consumption and stroke risk in elderly individuals: the cardiovascular health study. Arch Intern Med. (2005)
[12] Schaefer EJ, et al. Plasma phosphatidylcholine docosahexaenoic acid content and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: the Framingham Heart Study. Arch Neurol. (2006)
[13] Huang TL, et al. Benefits of fatty fish on dementia risk are stronger for those without APOE epsilon4. Neurology. (2005)
[14] Kalmijn S, et al. Dietary intake of fatty acids and fish in relation to cognitive performance at middle age. Neurology. (2004)
[15] Morris MC, et al. Fish consumption and cognitive decline with age in a large community study. Arch Neurol. (2005)
[16] Samieri C, et al. Plasma long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and atrophy of the medial temporal lobe. Neurology. (2012)
[17] Wei MY, Jacobson TA. Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid versus docosahexaenoic acid on serum lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Curr Atheroscler Rep. (2011)
[18] Eslick GD, et al. Benefits of fish oil supplementation in hyperlipidemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Cardiol. (2009)
[19] Simopoulos AP. The importance of the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio in cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). (2008)
[20] de Lorgeril M, et al. Mediterranean alpha-linolenic acid-rich diet in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Lancet. (1994)
[21] Huang T, et al. Plasma phospholipids n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid is associated with metabolic syndrome. Mol Nutr Food Res. (2010)
[22] Lauretani F, et al. Omega-3 and renal function in older adults. Curr Pharm Des. (2009)
[23] Huang T, et al. Increased plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid is associated with improved insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes in China. Mol Nutr Food Res. (2010)
[24] Bonatto SJ, et al. Fish oil supplementation improves neutrophil function during cancer chemotherapy. Lipids. (2012)
[25] Al-Safi ZA, et al. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Lowers Serum FSH in Normal Weight But Not Obese Women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. (2016)
[26] Tikhonenko M, et al. N-3 polyunsaturated Fatty acids prevent diabetic retinopathy by inhibition of retinal vascular damage and enhanced endothelial progenitor cell reparative function. PLoS One. (2013)
[27] Opreanu M, et al. The unconventional role of acid sphingomyelinase in regulation of retinal microangiopathy in diabetic human and animal models. Diabetes. (2011)
[28] Connor KM, et al. Increased dietary intake of omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces pathological retinal angiogenesis. Nat Med. (2007)
[29] Kang JX, et al. Transgenic mice: fat-1 mice convert n-6 to n-3 fatty acids. Nature. (2004)
[30] Wong CY, et al. Fish-oil supplement has neutral effects on vascular and metabolic function but improves renal function in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabet Med. (2010)
[31] Pilkington SM, et al. Randomized controlled trial of oral omega-3 PUFA in solar-simulated radiation-induced suppression of human cutaneous immune responses. Am J Clin Nutr. (2013)
[32] Das UN. Beneficial effect of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus and its relationship to the cytokine network. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. (1994)
[33] Rhodes LE, et al. Dietary fish-oil supplementation in humans reduces UVB-erythemal sensitivity but increases epidermal lipid peroxidation. J Invest Dermatol. (1994)
[34] Rhodes LE, et al. Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, on UVR-related cancer risk in humans. An assessment of early genotoxic markers. Carcinogenesis. (2003)