Benefits Of Fish Oil Supplements Are A Little Overrated

For the last decade, fish oil supplements have evoked great public interest, and a great deal of people throughout the world tried using this kind of supplements to support their cardiovascular health. A lot is said about the advantages of using fish oil as a great natural source of Omega 3 group fatty acids which play a great role in preventing and treating heart disease and related cardiovascular problems. Fish oil supplements can be of a great help to those who suffer from heart related health conditions, as well as to healthy people. In other words, these supplements are considered effective both for preventing and managing heart problems, that is why fish oil supplements are so much popular nowadays.

The most commonly mentioned benefits of fish oil supplements include the following:

• Reducing blood pressure and preventing elevated blood pressure
• Reducing bad LDL cholesterol levels in blood
• Preventing clot formation in the arteries
• Lowing the risks of developing heart disease, a stroke, sudden cardiac death, and other very serious cardiovascular problems
• Lowering the risks of abnormal heart rhythm
• Being a more effective and less toxic alternative to fish
• Some fish oil supplements have balanced formulas including vitamins, anti-oxidants, and other essential nutrients
• By using this supplements, it is possible to know and regulate the dosage of fish oil you are consuming
• This kind of supplements are handy.

Millions of people in today’s world are well aware about these fish oil supplements benefits and use fish oil pills, tablets, or capsules, on a regular basis. However, according to the findings of a recent study, the effectiveness of using fish oil supplements, especially as a partial substitute for a healthy diet, is very much questionable. A group of experts from South Korea carried out an extensive analysis of 14 previous studies and randomized clinical trials involving over 20 thousand participants with cardiovascular disease from many countries of the world, who were asked to take fish oil supplements for a prolonged period of time, in order to see the benefits of this products and their effectiveness in their properties to treat and prevent the diseases like congestive heart failure, a stroke, heart attack, and so on.

It was found out that actually fish oil supplements can hardly assist in preventing and especially treating numerous cardiovascular problems mentioned above. A great deal of the participants who used to take common over-counter fish oil supplements suffered from one more heart attack or a stroke. Thus, cardiovascular benefits of fish oil supplements are pretty much overrated, the Korean experts suggest. At the same time, Dr. Joann Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and Dr. Frank Hu, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who analyzed and overviewed the study of their Korean colleagues, underlined that fish oil supplements could seem not beneficial because most of the patients with heart problems take plenty of other cardiovascular medications, including ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, statins, etc., which could also play a role.

According to the Nutrition Business Journal, fish oil supplements remain the most popular dietary supplements in the United States,and the amounts of total incomes received from selling over-the-counter fish oil supplements are steadily increasing. In 2009, they totaled $739 million. Experts suggest us never using fish oil supplements, as well as other kinds of supplements, as a substitution for a healthy and balanced diet. The American Heart Association scientists suggest using natural sources of Omega 3 acids like flaxseed oil, soybeans, walnuts, canola oil, and other natural products. The true facts and scientific findings related to fish oil supplements benefits were published in one of the April’s issues of  the Archives of Internal Medicine. Find more information about this interesting research in this article.

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

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