The report states that at least one in 10 Americans takes a regular dose of fish oil, believing that the components in the supplement – particularly the omega-3 fatty acids – will help guard against heart attacks and strokes.
It would be marvelous if that were true. It’s long been the American dream to have a pill that would perform miracles, whether for weight loss, increasing intelligence or overall better health. Unfortunately, in the case of fish oil, there have been numerous studies that have shown it does not have an impact on cardiovascular health. In fact, there is no evidence – repeat, no evidence – that fish oil does anything to help your heart health or blood pressure.
At least two dozen studies have been undertaken to determine the benefits of fish oil, with the findings reported in some of the world’s top medical journals. They asked the same question you would when taking the supplements – will a daily dose help prevent heart attacks and strokes? Could it help people who already had a history of heart disease or had strong risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and/or Type 2 diabetes?
They compared control groups taking fish oil supplements with people taking placebos. They discovered that there was no benefit to the fish oil group.
Perhaps because the average citizen does not read peer-reviewed medical journals, and more likely because consumers are assaulted by a relentless wave of marketing hype, fish oil sales actually doubled between 2005 to 2012 when those studies were published.