Note: This article was originally published in June 2015 and was updated in January 2017 to include the latest research. My original recommendations still stand, and the case for high-dose fish oil supplementation has become even weaker.
Fish oil supplements continue to gain in popularity, but the research supporting their efficacy is shaky.
For over a decade, fish oil has been touted by doctors, nutritionists, and armchair health enthusiasts alike as a near cure-all for health. Whether you have heart disease, depression, diabetes, or joint or skin problems, or you just want to stay healthy and prevent nutrient deficiencies, somebody has probably told you to take a fish oil supplement.
The general notion was that it might help, and at the very least, it couldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, that isn’t necessarily the case.
Does Fish Oil Really Prevent Heart Disease?
But a majority of the evidence available now suggests that fish oil provides no benefits for preventing or improving heart disease.
For example, two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in 2010 found that in adults with preexisting heart disease, long-term supplementation (three-plus years) with fish oil had no significant impact on cardiovascular end points. (2, 3)
A few other trials looked at the effect of short-term fish oil supplementation on atrial fibrillation, and none of them found that fish oil improved patient outcomes. (4, 5, 6)
A meta-analysis of RCTs in 2012, focusing on cardiovascular end-points, found that fish oil did not reduce cardiovascular events or death and concluded that the evidence does not support using fish oil supplements for the secondary prevention of heart disease. (7)
Three other meta-analyses published since then came to similar conclusions. (8, 9, 10)
Some studies do still come up with positive results. For example, one meta-analysis published in 2013 found a protective effect of fish oil for preventing cardiac death, sudden death, and myocardial infarction. (11)
Is it possible that fish oil is beneficial for one person and harmful for another? #fishoil
But there are also studies with negative results. Back in 2010, I wrote an article highlighting one study where long-term fish oil supplementation resulted in an increase in heart disease and sudden death and another that found increased LDL levels and insulin resistance in people who took 3g per day of fish oil. (12, 13)
Overall, the majority of studies show neither benefit nor harm from supplementing with fish oil for heart disease.
Does Fish Oil Improve Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a collection of symptoms and biomarkers that often precedes heart disease or diabetes.
On the positive side, a recently published RCT found that in adults with metabolic syndrome, supplementation with 3g/d of fish oil along with 10 mL/d of olive oil for 90 days improved several blood markers. This includes a statistically significant lowering of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, an improvement in LDL/HDL ratio, and improved markers of oxidative stress. (14)
It’s interesting to note that the fish oil plus olive oil group had better results than either the fish oil or olive oil group alone. One possible reason for this is that olive oil is rich in antioxidants and may have protected against the potentially greater risk of oxidative damage from consuming more polyunsaturated fat.
On the negative side, a recent study in women with metabolic syndrome found that 3g/d of fish oil resulted in an increase in LDL cholesterol, blood glucose, and markers for insulin resistance after 90 days, although they did observe a decrease in blood pressure. (15)
And in overweight men, supplementation with 5g per day of krill and salmon oil resulted in increased insulin resistance after eight weeks, compared with a canola oil control. (16)
Finally, an impressively large RCT involving over 12,500 patients with diabetes, elevated fasting glucose, or impaired glucose tolerance found that supplementation with 1g/d of omega-3s for six years did not reduce disease endpoints compared to placebo. Endpoints measured included incidence of cardiovascular events, death from cardiovascular events, and death from all causes. (17)
Can Fish Oil Prevent Cancer? Or Does Fish Oil Cause Cancer?
Many of you probably recall headlines from 2013 proclaiming that fish oil may increase the risk of prostate cancer (18). But despite the extensive media attention garnered by the study, it’s actually one of the weaker cases that have been brought against fish oil.
Believe it or not, the study in question actually had nothing to do with fish oil, or even omega-3 supplements. The researchers simply measured circulating levels of omega-3 fatty acids in men with and without prostate cancer and found that men with prostate cancer tended to have higher concentrations of omega-3s in their blood.
There are several reasons this could be the case; for instance, some evidence indicates that having prostate cancer might itself increase blood levels of omega-3s, or that certain genetic polymorphisms can increase both circulating omega-3s and cancer risk.
It didn’t take long for other researchers to publish a slew of comments pointing out these possibilities, but the media had already taken the “fish oil causes cancer” stance and run with it.
More recently, a meta-analysis found that in general, omega-3 consumption is associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer, but that the correlation is too weak to be statistically significant. (19) In 2016, a massive meta-analysis looked at 44 studies and concluded overall that higher omega-3 supplementation had no effect on prostate cancer mortality (20).
A handful of reviews found that fish oil intake was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, although no distinction was made between fish oil supplements and fish consumption. (21, 22) And one RCT published in 2012 found that supplementation with 600mg of omega-3s per day had no effect on cancer risk in men, but increased cancer risk in women. (23)
As with heart disease and metabolic syndrome, the research on omega-3 and fish oil supplementation on cancer is decidedly mixed.
High Levels of Oxidative Products Found in Fish Oil Supplements
Recently, attention has been drawn to the quality of over-the-counter fish oil supplements. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including DHA and EPA, are especially susceptible to oxidation due to double carbon bonds at multiple locations. Light, oxygen exposure, and heat can all contribute to oxidation. Oxidized lipids have been linked to a number of health issues, including organ toxicity and accelerated atherosclerosis—the exact opposite outcomes usually desired by those who supplement with fish oil. (24)
In 2016, the top three selling fish oil supplements in the United States were shown to have oxidation levels up to four times higher than recommended “safe” levels. (25) One caveat of this alarming study is that oxidation levels were normalized per 1g of omega-3s in the supplements, instead of the industry standard of normalizing per 1g of fish oil. Although this does inflate their three measures of oxidation, all three fish oil brands were still above acceptable levels of peroxidase and TOTOX levels, while one (instead of the study’s reported two) was above acceptable anisidine levels if instead normalized per 1g of fish oil.
As oxidation level measurements of omega-3 supplements have increased over the last several years, this has been the common finding. Studies examining fish oil supplements available around the world, including in Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa, consistently show that a vast majority (up to 80 percent!) exceed at least one of the measures of acceptable oxidation levels. (26, 24, 27) Also noteworthy is that most of these supplements contain lower levels of DHA and EPA than the labels claim, probably partly due to oxidation.
Furthermore, the most recent study from 2016 demonstrated that over-the-counter omega-3 supplements had a decreased ability to inhibit small, dense LDL oxidation in a laboratory setting compared to pure omega-3 fatty acids. (25) This means that whatever supposed benefits omega-3 supplements should have on blood lipids could likely be completely counteracted by the oxidized lipids also contained in the pills. Overall, I am quite wary of most over-the-counter products out there.
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Should You Take Fish Oil?
To avoid making this article so long that nobody will read it, I haven’t included research on fish oil and other aspects of health, including mental health, skin health, pregnancy, and cognitive function. As you might imagine, the research on fish oil supplementation to prevent or improve these conditions is also somewhat mixed, with some studies showing significant benefit and others showing no change.
This is certainly an important topic, and I’m glad to see such a strong interest in it in the research community. I will continue to follow the literature and update my recommendations if and when new evidence comes to light, but for the time being this is what I would suggest:
If you are generally healthy, the best strategy is to consume about 12 to 16 ounces of cold-water fatty fish or shellfish each week. When possible, whole foods are always my first recommendation. Most studies show an inverse relationship between fish consumption and heart disease and mortality, so while fish oil may not protect you, eating fish does seem to. Perhaps this is because fish and shellfish contain many other beneficial nutrients that fish oil does not, including selenium, zinc, iron, and highly absorbable protein. (Fortunately, most cold-water fatty fish and shellfish are also low in mercury and other toxins, and mercury in fish may not be as big a problem as some have led us to believe.)
If you don’t eat fish (for whatever reason), I’d suggest supplementing with 1 teaspoon of high-vitamin cod liver oil. In addition to about 1.2 g of EPA + DHA, it is rich in the active forms of vitamin A and vitamin D, both of which are difficult to obtain elsewhere in the diet. There are very few studies suggesting the possibility of harm from supplementation with 1 gram or less of fish oil per day, and so I think one teaspoon of cod liver oil a day is likely to be safe even for those eating fish regularly—and beneficial for those not eating liver or other foods that contain active vitamin A. My current favorite cod liver oil is Rosita Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil, as this company has consistently demonstrated very low levels of oxidative products from independent laboratory testing.
Based on the evidence I’ve reviewed in this article, I would not recommend consuming high doses of fish oil (i.e., more than 3g/day) over the long term. If you do choose to take a higher dose of fish oil, I would make sure to consume plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, like olive oil; blueberries; nuts; dark, leafy greens; and dark chocolate.
I think we still have a lot to learn about this subject. One of the challenges is that the effects of polyunsaturated fats on overall physiology are complex and probably depend on multiple factors that can vary individually, including uncontrolled oxidation, eicosanoid production, cell membrane effects, and signal transduction via specialized fatty acid receptors (i.e., PPAR receptors).
This could explain why we see such a wide variation in study results. Is it possible that 3g/d of fish oil is beneficial for one person and harmful for another? Absolutely. Unfortunately, at this point it’s difficult to predict that individual response with accuracy and certainty, so I think the conservative approach I suggested above is probably the most sensible until we learn more.
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
What about inflammation? Can we have another article exploring if Fish Oil is good for inflammation?
I began taking fish oil last March hoping it would help atrial fibrillation. In April I began having nose bleeds. I had several per day, one that lasted for well over an hour. If I tried to pinch my nose to stop the bleeding it came out my mouth. Finally the clotting began and then I was spitting out blood clots. There was blood spatter on the walls, floor, and me. I had gone to a local clinic because I feared respiratory flu had turned to pneumonia. The albuterol nebulizer that was recommended sent me immediately into atrial fibrillation with extremely high blood pressure, very fast irregular heart rate, and an overall weakness. The nurse practitioner was insistent that I begin taking blood thinners. In view of the bleeding problems with just one fish oil per day, I think I would not have survived. It shows the importance of medical people to ask just what medications and supplements a person is taking before prescribing drugs. She did not do that, but my instinct told me to refuse the drug.
My daughter has a rare condition called Moyamoya and instead of regular aspirin consumption to thin her blood, my Naturopath many years ago recommended taking higher doses of fish oil. she had a blood test that showed her blood was just as thin on fish oil as it was on aspirin. I’m concerned now, as she is 16 years old, eats healthy, is healthy and she now exhibits symptoms of insulin resistance. Natural blood thinners? Help!
Have you tried raw garlic cloves? They are said to thin the blood and are a natural remedy. I take mine every day chopped on a grilled tomato with breakfast.
Curcumin
Yes I take Fish Oil by Nature Made. It says “1000mg”, “300mg Omega-3.” My Doctor recomme4nded it and within 30 days my cholesterol lowered by 30 points. That was 4 years ago.
Yes, I am rethinking it, as I was just diagnosed with a mini-stroke 3 months ago and am advised to lower my Cholesterol, Blood Pressure & Blood Sugar even though they are and have been under perfect control with medication. I guess he wants me perfect without medication and thinks that will happen if I lost 40 pounds!!!
I agree we shouldn’t take fish oil supplements. A study done in Norway (where a heavy amount of fish oil supplements originate) found that there was rancid oil in 95% of the fish oil supplements sampled.
https://www.omega3innovations.com/index.php/media/press/norwegian-health-authorities-raise-questions/?___store=default
Additionally, just eating real, whole, fresh food can supply an adequate amount of omega-3 and it will be way fresher than any supplement can be, and possibly fresher than most whole fish you buy at the market. Remember, omega-3 fats are quite vulnerable to oxidation, and oxidized, they have nothing but negative value to your body. I’d rather get my omega-3 from other foods that aren’t as concentrated in omega-3, but are more likely to be fresh and uncompromised.
For instance, eggs come in their own sealed container, straight from the hen. They are always going to have more omega-6 than omega-3, but “omega-3” type eggs have 5 times as much omega-3 as conventional eggs,
( http://authoritynutrition.com/pastured-vs-omega-3-vs-conventional-eggs/ )
and you can always raise your omega-3 levels further compared to omega-6 by eating certain foods. For instance, spinach contains 5 times the omega-3 as omega-6.
( http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2626/2 )
If you could manage to eat 6 oz. of spinach in a meal, you would get 240 mg. of omega-3. If you ate 3 oz. of “omega-3” eggs, you might get about 1200 mg. ( 1.2 gm.) of omega-3, though you would have gotten only about 440 mg from conventional eggs. I got these numbers from the two links above.
But all fresh foods contain some of these 2 types of fats. I don’t think one needs to ingest a heavyweight source of unsaturated fats in order to get a sufficient quantity of these as long as empty-calorie junk foods are not part of the diet.
There are arguments that the human body, in certain conditions, cannot break alpha-linolenic acid into DHA, and EPA. One must realize this is an unusual condition and not what most people encounter on a healthy diet. So I don’t really fear inability to make the conversion to derive DHA, etc. from whole, parent omega-3. I think others shouldn’t either, if they have eliminated all the commercial seed-oils from their diet which make it difficult for the human body to process omega-6 and omega-3 fats efficiently.
Quite correct! Well put.
I’m 7+months pregnant and have been taking about 1000mg of DHA a day. What is your recommendation for pregnancy?
Getting DHA to the prenatal is important in the last 3 months of pregnancy, however you can do it. While I don’t take DHA supplements for very good reasons, I still think getting adequate amounts are important to your baby and will continue to be important for the first years after birth for adequate brain development. You might be interested in this:
http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ofer_Harel/publication/6279605_Maternal_consumption_of_a_docosahexaenoic_acid-containing_functional_food_during_pregnancy_benefit_for_infant_performance_on_problem-solving_but_not_on_recognition_memory_tasks_at_age_9_mo/links/53f5e85d0cf2fceacc6f7bd6.pdf
During pregnancy getting sufficient amounts of EPA and DHA is particularly important. If you are eating a pound of cold-water, fatty fish a week, the additional fish oil is probably unnecessary. That said, I do recommend cod liver oil or eating liver to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin A & D.
Okay great, thanks for getting back to me Chris! Appreciate it.
Sorry to jump in here, but it is not advisable for pregnant women to eat liver. Too much vitamin A is toxic to the foetus and as liver is so high in vitamin A, it should be avoided.
I wouldn’t eat liver normally even when not pregnant but thank you for the tip!
The combination of Vitamin D with the Vitamin A provides protection against Vitamin A toxicity. That is why Chris made the recommendation on the liver consumption.
I am unable to take any kind of fish oil supplement because they give me acid reflux and nausea. I have tried several brands and they all react the same way. So, I guess it’s just as well I’m unable to take them after reading this article.
You might try taking a good quality probiotic, eg Primal Defense, to mitigate this. Worked for me.
And probably getting adequate sunlight would help keeping the probiotics and microbes in the GI tract sustain because they rely on not only prebiotics like fibers, carbs, and so but also D3 hormone we produce from 7-dehydrocholesterol to thrive. If you don’t feed them well, you probably don’t live easy lives because 7/8 of daily requisite B’s are from them. Biology are complex, we can’t live alone. Nutrition and lifestyle changes since agricultural&industrial revolution makes us sick. Nevertheless we don’t have to reverse the revolution, only have to tweak our way of life to settle in our position in the biology, needing comprehensive understanding truth in short Tao.
Try taking Wobenzyms or other digestive enzymes. It is likely that your stomach pH is too high and thus not acidic enough to digest such fats. The enzymes have prevented this for me and have greatly aided in full digestion of food (literally 1/2 the waste now).
I had used Source Naturals enteric coated until I got Lovaza (prescription) and it is so pure, it has never caused burps. Acid reflux is indicator of not enough stomach acid, fyi.
I have found since taking Lovaza to control triglycerides due to diabetes from sleep debt following auto accident that my decades of back pain has subsided, so I consider this a miracle solution.
I caution, however, that recently the FDA approved generic Lovaza, called Omega 3 Fish Oil usually and when speaking with the manufacturer, they were unwilling to share the source or names of oceans/seas where the fish is procured, whereas Lovaza is frank about the source: the Baltic Sea. Given the incidents of nuclear waste in the sea, this would seem to be important, so I am refusing the generic and advise others to do the same until they start telling us where their product resource comes from. I have learned that a lot comes from squid, a bottom feeder, so this is important … it is not all salmon, that is for sure.
My prescribed dose is 2 grams twice a day.
I completely trust the quality and purity of Green Pasture Fermented Cod Liver Oil. Have been using it for many years. Clearly the best.
You can’t ferment cod liver oil, it’s rancid. Chris is now recommending EVCLO by Rositas Real Foods. If your CLO has to be flavored and encapsulated to disguise it’s rancid taste then don’t consume it.
I understand that is the position of the competitor’s company. However, fermenting codliver oil is an ancient practice. We’d have been quite ill millenia ago if it were true. Thus, common sense shows fermenting is beneficial for this food also. It’s sad that companies have to belittle the competition.
Helene, I’m not sure who you are referring to as “the competitor”, but if it’s Rositas then they are not competing with anyone, their product is quite unique and not a fermented CLO, so it’s not competing with anyone else, nor have they “belittled” anyone as you suggest. All because a method of food preservation is an “ancient practice” doesn’t mean its necessary/beneficial in our day and age, and the fact remains that fermenting cod liver oil is totally unnecessary, there are enough fermented foods on the market already, ie. veggies, kefir etc. so don’t worry you wont miss our on any good bacteria. I’d rather consume a product that is clean and one where I can use my own senses of taste and smell to determine if it’s rancid.
There is no mention of the need for butter oil also in this article. It is highly important to take with the CLO as K2 needs to be taken with the D3. The D3 impacts calcium absorption and we need the calcium to get where it belongs and not lining our blood vessels and putting spurs in our joints.
I have found it even works in saliva to prevent tooth plaque buildup. In fact, it caused my buildup to flake off, twice. Chunks both times. Incredible, I’m hooked for life.
You are correct. This was recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation and is the best source for a complete fish oil supplement. Naturally high with vitamins A & D.
Fish oil has basically ruined my life. My ND put me on some medical brand fish oil and I got reflux so bad my esophagus was swollen almost shut for 6 months. Eventually with careful diet management it went away and I was good for almost a year. Then she insisted I really needed to take the oil for anti-inflammatory properties and showed me all kinds of things like freezing the capsules and only taking one instead of three, and taking it in the middle of a meal. I don’t know why I listened! But two capsules later massive reflux attack and there goes my throat again. That was in December, and it hasn’t wanted to go away this time. It was worse than the first time it happened…. this time my teeth and nose burned and now I get scratchy throat and cough after some meals. I’m having to cut out all wheat, dairy, high fat meats, sugar, etc…. hopefully it will eventually go away and I’ll be normal again. I’ve never ever had reflux in my life except for these two times because of the fish oil.
You need to take a look at the brand of fish oil you’re taking. Most brands are not worth it and should be avoided. I commented above on fermented Cod liver oil from Green Pasture, which is what my family takes. But you have more serious problems. You should be on a good probiotic and possible digestive enzymes, as your digestive system needs to be normalized. Correcting your diet is a major plus, and should be continued. You will find that once you take care of your digestive system and gut flora, you will not run into acid reflux.
Thanks Ken,
It was Seroyal/Genestra brand Super EFAs. I take a good probiotic along with prescript assist SBOs. I had been taking Pure Encapsulations digestive enzymes but they made me worse. At one point I was taking HCL/pepsin but it didn’t really do much to help and I would end up burping it back up.
gosh that’s very severe danielle….sorry to hear about that. how are you now? wonder what was the cause of your reaction in terms of the fish oil content ?
That sounds more like an allergy.
I wish. I can eat fish and seafood fine, love it in fact. The fish oil starts with lots of burps and then acid taste in mouth and nose, and globus sensation that becomes diffuse as my esophagus becomes more inflamed. Then afterwards the reflux just doesn’t want to go away…. Which sucks because I’ve never in my life had heartburn or reflux and could eat anything with no issue until I took the fish oil. After the first episode healed I was able to return to eating whatever I wanted until I took the fish oil the second time… Now it just doesn’t want to go away… I was completely healed by this time frame previously. 🙁
Sorry to hear your reaction here. The same thing basically happened to me, however it wasn’t the fish oil itself, but the non-medicinal ingredients in the product. One of them includes green tea and tocopherols, etc… And tocopherols are usually fine as it’s just vitamin E, but the green tea was the cause for me. Fish oil supplement companies also need to do a better job at disclosing how their fish oil is made; not just where it comes from.
I don’t eat any fish, because I’m broke haha. So I supplement with fish oil, 2 tspns a day.
Fish oil and cod liver oil supps have too many rancidity problems — rancid soon after opening, upon opening, and even if stored in the frig. I don’t feel that these problems are sufficiently offset by also eating high anti-oxidant foods and supps, especially if one has other sources of oxidative stress as well. In today’s world, I don’t think that most people can assume that fish oil is their only source of oxidative stress, and even more so the older one gets.
Because fish oil is a vasodilator, persons who need more vasodilation and tend toward higher blood pressure might do at least temporarily better with the higher amounts of 2000-3000 mg fish oil, and persons who are already over-dilated and tend toward lower blood pressure do better with lower amounts e.g. 1000 mg. Being in the latter category, I took fish oil for a couple of years in my mid-50s. During that time, I had more brown spots develop on my hands and arms than ever before or since, which I attribute to oxidation. This may extend to lipofuscin in the brain? I’ve long taken anti-oxidant supps and eaten fruits and vegetables. I quit taking the fish oil after that time.
So I’m for eating the fish, 3-4 oz 3x/week, being aware of which fish are high in mercury and which not, and rotating your fish. I had some very fancy lipids testing around age 63 where my omega 3s, omega 6s, and DHA levels were found to be ideal on this fish-eating routine.
Fish oil is a PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid). Ray Peat argues against PUFAs, saying they cause intense production of toxic lipid peroxides. I’m inclined to agreed with him on this point.
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturated-oils.shtml
I completely agree with you on this. Great points made here!
Ray Peat cherry picks his studies, and in fact believes there is no such thing as ‘essential fatty acids’, which is nonsense.
He also believes one should eat white sugar several times a day (or “Mexican Coca Cola — because it has sugar instead of high-fructose syrups) and take aspirin several times a day as well. He also thinks most vegetables are bad, because of their “high-PUFA” content.
A nice man, but basically the laughing stock among serious researchers and scientists.
Ad hominem dismissal. I’m only interested in true propositions, I pick and choose, and don’t feel I must endorse someone’s work wholesale or trash it completely otherwise. I can agree with this idea, disagree with that idea. As mentioned, I agree with Peat on his point that “PUFAs cause intense production of toxic lipid peroxides.” How about an address to this point on its own merits or demerits?
Perhaps that is the case under certain conditions, but he ignores the fact the polyunsaturated fat has been used successfully as part of a dietary treatment for multiple sclerosis, hence my mention of his ‘cherry-picking’ of studies.
Two 1200 mg tablets includes 360 mg omega 3, 360 mg epa 240 dha and 120 mg other omega 3. Three years now. Lipid numbers have improved, and just feel better with it, so why stop now. 😉
What about Krill Oil?
I think it is all about how oils are processed…especially heat,and packaging. Personally I think krill oil is about Marketing. I chose to stay with Islandic or Carlson.
They are well respected with long history.
Agreed. Krill oil is also highly unsustainable. (kills other fish, and sea life in order to obtain it).
I agree Jo. Also isn’t Krill Oil needed as food for whales and other sea annals. Also KO is too heavily marketed as the next big thing. I was dissipointed when Mercola became a supporter. Honestly is there any living species that humans do not feel entitled to?
How can Fermented Fish Oil/butter by green pastures not be rancid??
Why would it be rancid?
I live in Eugene Oregon….very organic aware. I shop at a Market that also carries nutritional supliments and locally grown foods. While looking to restart my CLO
Regiment she handed me a flyer from Carlson saying , with their years of experience You cannot ferment fish oil without making it rancid. You might want to google Carlson and see what they say. I have misplaced the flyer or I would have quoted them with reference for you.
@Steve, try opening a capsule of fermented CLO that is not flavored, and taste it. If you experience a gag reflex, it’s rancid.
Many things invoke the gag reflex, and different things for different people. I watch this all the time within my family, as some people can eat the Green Pasture FCLO like it is ice cream, while others gag.
In addition, there is confusion here about the term rancid. We generally use it to mean that something has ‘gone bad’ and is not fit for consumption. However, that is not the dictionary definition, and is not used by everyone in that context. When something is rancid, it has what is generally considered a foul smell and taste, and is in a state of decomposition, or similarly bioactive. All fermented food fall under this technical definition, but not the common definition.
Thus, FCLO, natto, kimchi, etc. are technically rancid, but highly desirable for consumption, and therefore not rancid by common definition. I hope that helps.
Fermentation is an anaerobic process. With no oxygen it is possible that fermented CLO is not rancid (oxidized).
Chris, as you are stating, it’s a complex issue. There are some glimpses of light in the studies you mention as well as some studies going on now here in Sweden. So many studies are done with the cheapest product available or at low levels. Oxidized fish oil will skew studies. Even studies with depression/anxiety/etc. show differing results depending on the level of EPA vs DHA.
What we are seeing with the study using olive oil with omega-3 is the polyphenols in the olive oil. The best study we have with omega-3 and polyphenols specifically was done on cows, but did show less omega-3 oxidation (in blood) with polyphenols and vitamin-E than with either alone.
Taking high quality omega-3 that already has vitamin-E in it along with high polyphenol foods (olives, cloves, chocolate) will help reduce oxidation. That’s why omega-3 mixed with high polyphenol olive oil is such a great combination. Paul Clayton talks quite a bit about this.
There are two companies in Sweden that work with omega-3 and olive oil blends. ArcticMed and Zinzino. We’ve worked with both of them in our health center in Sweden with great results, especially with chronic inflammation. Both of them put down a lot of time and money in securing olive oil that has high enough polyphenols and both encourage omega-3:6 balance testing before and during usage. I respect them both for that. We mostly work with Zinzino now, mainly since our clients prefer how their products taste.
We only have some of our information in English now at http://www.balance36.com/, (links are at the bottom of the page).
Not saying that we have the answer or the answers, but some things to think about. What I can say is that we have seen multiple people with FM/CFS go from bedridden to working full-time once they get their omega-3:6 levels back in balance. Again, not the only thing that matters, but something that does matter.
Chris, this article is SO timely for me. I just ran out of New Chapter Wild Salmon Oil, and I’ve taken it on again/off again, depending upon whose advice I’m receiving at the moment.
For a good year now, I’ve been consuming 1 lb per week of extremely fresh Wild Alaskan Salmon, line caught by Eskimos and flown here overnight. And I eliminated fish oil capsules — both because I intuitively believe whole food form is best and because you and others who I trust (i.e., Paul Jaminet Phd, etc.) recommend that approach.
But I have a very mild form of blepharitis (aka ocular rosacea) and dry eye. My ophthalmologist keeps INSISTING that I take 2 g of fish oil per day for overall eye health and as a prevention against those specific conditions. He says blepharitis develops because the oil glands in the eyelids get clogged and the fish oil keeps things “flowing”. He like the Nordic Naturals brand that also contains has Astaxanthin.
So I’d like your input on whether for an eye condition like like that, you do or do not recommend supplementing on top of 1 lb of salmon per week, and if so, would it be the EVCLO and at what dose per day.
The brand matters–there is a lot of worthless fish oil out there and the amount matters. Unless those things are accounted for, the studies are pointless. I have seen it cure all sorts of inflammatory problems including my own severe arthritis (four joint replacements) so that I now run a farm, bucking bales, mowing, gardening and wrangling livestock. It has (to my knowledge) improved or eliminated copd, asthma, arthritis, psoriasis. Wouldn’t be without it.
Can you please divulge which brand you use? Thank you.
I take Carlson’s. It might not be the best out there but it’s good, and a good compromise with
How much of that fish oil do you take daily?
By experimentation I found 8 grams (8000 mg) is good for me–that’s where joint pain disappeared. I’ve heard some get pain reduction at lower intake…some higher, everyone is different. And it matters what else you put in your mouth of course. Also fatter people produce more inflammatory cytokines than leaner people so may need more for the same effect–everyone is different.
I take fairly good-sized doses of IFOS fish oil because I have severe dry eye syndrome (possibly Sjorgren’s). I once stopped and ate salmon daily to see what would happen. Within a week, I ripped my corneas repeatedly. I was back on fish oil immediately; it took 10 days or so to repair the damage. My eyes, nose and throat are still desperately dry, but at least I don’t rip my corneas when taking fish oil. I have no idea whether or not I am increasing my risk for other chronic diseases, but I don’t seem to have a choice if I want to function at some level or normalcy.
Ten years ago, used to have two irregular heartbeat episodes a day. I started on fish oil and immediately no episodes. I would stop the FO (maybe ran out or forgot to order it) and skipping beats would come back like clockwork. Still take FO and no episodes. Incidentally, my hdl improved slightly but my triglycerides were cut almost in half. Good enough for me….My doctor? he put me on a statin….that only lasted a month and a half until I took control of my own health.
Statins are terrible things. The drug was invented then the problem was created, genius marketing but very poor for patients.
http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Uffe_Ravnskov/publication/272189007_How_statistical_deception_created_the_appearance_that_statins_are_safe_and_effective_in_primary_and_secondary_prevention_of_cardiovascular_disease/links/54e5d10d0cf2bff5a4f1c6e8.pdf
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150220110850.htm
This link gives additional information to the link to the abstract above.
I take omega 3 for migraine/chronic headache prevention, per my neurologist. Not sure if it helps though. Any research on that? I think I should just eat fish instead.