Africa Global News Publication
Cod liver oil, a source of omega-3
The jingles may say it’s good for the heart, but a recent scientific review casts aspersion on the commonly held belief that omega-3 fatty acids, found in both plants and some fish oil, is any good for the heart.
A review by researchers from the Cochrane Library assessed 79 clinical trials, involving more than 112,000 people, came to the conclusion that, depending on the source, omega-3 fatty acids exhibited little to no benefit at all when it came to protecting the heart. The omega-3 in most of these studies was consumed as a supplement.
The trend across these studies was that, despite enriching the participants meals with omega-3, there was no significant benefit.
For instance, among those who consumed omega-3, the risk of death from any cause stood at 8.8%, while that risk stood at 9% among those who didn’t take omega 3.
In matters of the heart, the results were similar; omega 3 derived from fish oil may have reduced triglycerides and cholesterol but its overall effect is counterproductive to the heart’s health.
The cholesterol lowered was high density lipoprotein (HDL, aka healthy cholesterol), and not low-density lipoprotein (aka the lousy/bad cholesterol).
In all, fish-derived omega 3 supplements did not contribute significantly to preventing stroke, coronary heart disease, heart irregularities and other cardiovascular issues.
Plant-derived omega 3 however exhibited some marginal benefit, with the risk of heart irregularities reduced from 3.3% to 2.6% among those who consumed it.
However, with regard to other cardiovascular issues, the benefits were so infinitesimal as to be nonexistent.
By Matengo Chwanya
