February 12, 2016 general

When we hear a news report saying that fish oil does not have any positive effects, are we supposed to think that we’ve been taken advantage of by the supplement maker? Fish oil flim flam? Who is at fault? I believe it is the media that we should be annoyed with. Omega-3s are one of the most heavily researched nutrients in the world, with over 27,000 published studies—including 8,000 human clinical studies on health issues such as cardiovascular disease and brain function. The results are overwhelmingly positive. So, shame on the journalists for not treating the occasional negative report with the suspicion they deserve. Except for what appears to be a blatant general bias against dietary supplements, they might provide proper context for the “news” and report reasonable explanations for the surprising results. (See my thoughts on that below.) But, these newspapers and TV shows attract attention and make money when they sensationalize a “man bites dog” kind of contrarian story. So, sadly they too often make it seem that what is really an exception to the rule is information to act on. Someone really should hold these media outlets accountable for the harm they do consumers by dissuading them from protecting their health with supplements.

Nordic Naturals, my favorite fish oil company has sponsored 40 well-designed studies on its own products and has 40 more underway. Good for them! But, as noted there are thousands of scientific articles on fish oil supplementation that were not done by manufacturers. Here are three recent ones that caught my eye:

Omega-3 levels affect whether B vitamins can slow brain’s decline. B vitamins have been shown to slow or prevent the decay of the brain and memory decline in people with mild memory problems. The benefit of B’s was most pronounced in persons with above average blood levels of homocysteine, a factor that may be toxic to the brain. Also, those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fats benefitted most from intervention with the B’s.

Correcting omega-3 deficiency improves psychiatric problems. The research noted: “studies have consistently observed low erythrocyte (red blood cell) EPA and/or DHA levels in patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” Improvements in those conditions were found with supplementation.

Supplementation with omega-3/6 helps ADHD as much as Ritalin and similar drugs. There were fewer side effects and we might expect to see other health benefits as bonuses.

Are there negative studies? Yes and here are some reasons: Studies can use the wrong dose; too short a time period; or even the wrong form of the nutrient. (Sometimes it looks as though they want the experiment to fail.) Recent reports about oxidized (rancid) fish oil products that are being sold might explain some negative studies on fish oil. If the product used in a study was just plain spoiled, it would not only fail to produce good results, it might even show harm.

Those are certainly not issues you will find with my favorite brand, Nordic Naturals. Their quality controls are exhaustive. They meet the highest standards for Good Manufacturing Practices and test their oils up to 82 times from first catch to finished product. To assure freshness and freedom from the oxidation, Nordic maintains an oxygen-free environment throughout the path the oils travel. I don’t advise settling for any other brand.