Study questions value of Omega 3 supplements

AUCKLAND: An international review has suggested taking longchain omega 3 supplements like fish oil will do little to protect you from a heart attack or stroke.

The justpublished Cochrane systematic review analysed results from nearly 80 randomised trials involving more than 100,000 people, to investigate what effect consuming extra omega 3 fat had on diseases of the heart and circulation.

Small amounts of omega 3 fats were considered essential for good health and can be found in the food we eat.

The main types were alphalinolenic acid (ALA), normally found in fats from plant foods such as nuts and seeds, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which were naturally found in fatty fish, such as salmon and fish oils including cod liver oil.

Consuming extra omega 3 fats was widely promoted because of a common belief that it would protect against heart disease, through mechanisms such as reducing blood pressure or reducing cholesterol.

In the studies covered by the Cochrane review, participants were randomly assigned to increase their omega 3 fats or to maintain their usual intake of fat for at least a year.

Most studies investigated the impact of giving a longchain omega 3 supplement in a capsule form and compared it to a dummy pill, and just a few assessed whole fish intake.

The Cochrane researchers found that increasing longchain omega 3 provided little if any benefit on most outcomes that they looked at, including reducing risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart deaths, coronary heart disease events, stroke or heart irregularities.

The risk of death from any cause was 8.8% in people who had increased their intake of omega 3 fats, compared with 9% in people in the control groups.

‘‘We can be confident in the findings of this review which go against the popular belief that longchain omega 3 supplements protect the heart,’’ lead author Dr Lee Hooper, of the University of East Anglia, said.

‘‘This large systematic review included information from many thousands of people over long periods. Despite all this information, we don’t see protective effects.’’

Prof Wayne Cutfield, of the University of Auckland Liggins Institute, said the review added to a growing number of published studies and systematic review showing that omega three supplements did not benefit heart health or reduce the risk of stroke.

But he added that omega 3 supplements were not the same as fresh fish, which should be kept in our diets.

‘‘There are many potential roles omega 3 supplements could play in health and wellbeing. Heart health is not one of these,’’ Prof Cutfield said.