No evidence oily fish have health benefits, study finds

[turkish]

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/uknews/#3

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article353286.ece

"Researchers from the University of East Anglia who reviewed no fewer than 89 studies into the benefits of omega 3 fats, say that when the results were pooled they showed no strong evidence that omega 3 affected overall deaths, heart disease, strokes or cancer. Until three years ago cumulative evidence showed that omega 3 was beneficial ,but a major study, the Dart 2 trial, changed the overall picture in 2003 when it found a higher heart death rate in men taking fish oil supplements. The possibility the findings were the result of high mercury levels in fish has been put forward."

:jaw: at the part in bold.

 

[MaynardMeek]

Horse Hockey!

 

[jonny21]

You need to consider that after finding it could be helpful, those already at high risk or with existing advanced heart disease started taking them but it was too little too late.

 

[MaynardMeek]

i hold true that omega 3's CURED me from both high cholest. as well as high blood pressure...

 

[Schwaugher]

You need to consider that after finding it could be helpful, those already at high risk or with existing advanced heart disease started taking them but it was too little too late.

This point is often skipped over. If i recall correctly, the study was mean to see if adding fish oils alone, meaning without a change in diet, exercise, or medication, could decrease the mortality rate of people with CHD. That's one reason why there are so few studies on it, people often changed their diet and began exercising. The mortality rate confuses me because they even said there were several mortalities that were uncontributed to their heart condition. And isn't the mortality rate supposed to be 100% anyway, after all don't we all die:blink:.

It should mention that Fish oils do lower triglicerides and blood pressure in people without CHD, while large doses can actually raise LDL in some people. But when added with some allicin (garlic extract), they will synergetically raise HDL, lower LDL, lower trig, and lower blood pressure in as little as a month. Clinical trials and my personal blood work can back this up. It's funny how nobody seems to highlight those facts. Take all studies with a grain of salt, many are incomplete or flaud. At least thats my opinion on it.

 

[Pioneer]

off topic, but its amazing how google ads work, in this thread there is a link to buy omega 3 fish oil. in other threads about test and such there are links to "low test?" and other stuff. google knows how to make money.

 

[Schwaugher]

off topic, but its amazing how google ads work, in this thread there is a link to buy omega 3 fish oil. in other threads about test and such there are links to "low test?" and other stuff. google knows how to make money.

I prefer to do an advanced search and only select PDF files, if i know what im looking for. They have options that can weed out some of those useless results.

 

[Iron Warrior]

You need to consider that after finding it could be helpful, those already at high risk or with existing advanced heart disease started taking them but it was too little too late.

Excellent point jonny, supplements should be used for prevention along with diet and exercise. There are no magic pills.

 

[imichael]

I saw the Professor who headed this study on the News last week (at 7am so it didn't sink in fully). The sum of it was, on average fish oils improved health slightly but there was a risk that in people who have a condition it actually shortens their life.

The downside of headlines is that they ignored the the fact that this was based on a spread of evidence, so while 3 people in a 100 may have more risk, there is an equal chance that something like 67 people in 100 will have improved health. I'll try to dig up the report I saw. But I am sure it was based on reviewing all previous studies and drawing conclusions, not new research.

 

[BodyWizard]

Isn't this fish-oil 'news' based on a study that used FISH ONLY as the source of oil? NOT pearl caps like so many people take?

 

[imichael]

Found a decent write up on this study - [URL="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2100878,00.html"]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2100878,00.html.
[/URL]
It was based on the analysis of 40 control studies and their spin off reports.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2100878,00.html

 

[Gokmog]

There's was a recent study on the use of the statin drug, Crestor, in high dose to reduce LDL and raise HDL. It did so impressively but these improvements were not accompanied by corresponding decrease in mortality among test subjects.

Is it possible that Cholesterol is not the culprit in heart disease as is believed?

I haven't looked, but has anyone done a properly done comparative study of drugs, supplements or diet versus an ongoing routine of good cardio on mortality?

I'm of the belief that my 3 to 4 hours of elliptical weekly plus daily walk/sprints is keeping my heart strong and pipes clean and supple, but I could be wrong.

yeah. i've read in life extension foundation's literature the idea that elevated cholesterol could be some homeostatic mechanism in the body's attempt to elevate testosterone, and that supplementation with the DHEA they are always trying to sell will elevate it naturally (or go on bioidentical hormone therapy). cholesterol is a pre-cursor to sex hormones so maybe...

 

[bioman]

There's also a decent body of work indicating that low cholesterol is a culprit in mental illness. The medical establishment keeps trying to push the "normal" range for cholesterol lower and lower, but honestly I think they are going overboard.

 

[phaeton66]

There's was a recent study on the use of the statin drug, Crestor, in high dose to reduce LDL and raise HDL. It did so impressively but these improvements were not accompanied by corresponding decrease in mortality among test subjects.

Is it possible that Cholesterol is not the culprit in heart disease as is believed?

I haven't looked, but has anyone done a properly done comparative study of drugs, supplements or diet versus an ongoing routine of good cardio on mortality?

Rogue Drone:
I recently posted this article, which may be of interest to you. It asserts that cholesterol was never the problem doctors say it is, and that there is no evidence Statins help you. I don't know enough medicine to know if it is true or not, but it is interesting to contemplate. It's not like the medical community hasn't been wrong before.
http://anabolicminds.com/forum/nutrition-health/59346-cholesterol-heart-disease.html

 

[Motomatt]

This thread caught my attn, I take EPA/DHA caps
this is article on other benefits.

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, November 14, 2006, abstracted from “Dietary supplementation of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids improves cognitive dysfunction” in the November 2006 issue of Neuroscience Research

When research has looked at the cognitive decline that frequently occurs with aging, a common theme is the accompanying decline of two fats in the brain called arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).1 This cognitive decline is well known to be associated not only with aging or Alzheimer's disease (AD), but also with various organic brain diseases, such as cerebral hemorrhage and traumatic brain injuries.

In addition to being associated with learning-memory and vision,2 DHA is also useful for the prevention of brain damage by helping prevent clotting.3 Both DHA and ARA decline as we age.4

Now a new study5 has found that supplementing DHA and ARA into the diet may help slow cognitive decline.

In the study, 21 patients classified as having mild cognitive dysfunction, 10 patients with organic brain lesions and 8 patients with AD completed cognitive tests before they started taking 240 mg per day of ARA/DHA or 240 mg per day of olive oil (placebo). They then completed cognitive tests 90 days after the study began. The cognitive tests administered were called RBANS6 and precisely estimates five cognitive domains: short-term memory, visual/constructional ability, language, attention, and long-term memory.

At the end of the study, the supplement group showed a “significant improvement” of short-term memory and attention score. In addition, patients with organic brain lesions in the supplement group showed “a significant improvement” of both long-term and short-term memory. No significant improvements were seen in either of the AD groups or the other placebo groups.

For the researchers, this study suggests “that ARA and DHA supplementation can improve the cognitive dysfunction due to organic brain damages or aging.”

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at mailto:[email protected] or visiting his web site chiropractor Danville, Complete Chiropractic Health Care - Danville chiropractor

Reference:

1 G. Dallner, Fatty acid composition of brain phospholipids in aging and in Alzheimer's disease, Lipids 26 (1991), pp. 421–425

2 D.G. Birch, A randomized controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants, Dev. Med. Child Neurol. 42 (2000), pp. 174–181

3 K. Koga, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves the age-related impairment of the coupling mechanism between neuronal activation and functional cerebral blood flow response: a PET study in conscious monkeys, Brain Res. 862 (2000), pp. 180–186

4 M.A. Lynch, Age-related changes in synaptic function: analysis of the effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, Neuroscience 94 (1999), pp. 305–314

5 Kotani S. Dietary supplementation of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids improves cognitive dysfunction. Neurosic Res 2006; 56(2): 159-164
6 T.N. Chase, The repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS): preliminary clinical validity, J. Clin. Exp. Neuropsychol. 2a0 (1998), pp. 310–319

 

[Motomatt]

DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute Provides Early Look at Exciting New Fish Oil Research

New research in the field of nutrition and human health is usually presented at academic conferences 1-2 years before it is published in journals and disseminated by the media. The DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute, a leading information provider of research on omega-3 fatty acids for health, has released highlights of research presented by leading scientists and clinical investigators at the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL), held July 23-28 in Carins, Australia.

Here is an advance look at the new research presented at this conference:

Reduction of Inducible Arrhythmia in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease by Fish Oil
In a recent pilot trial of patients with heart disease, 75% of those who took 900 mg of omega-3 fatty acids daily for at least four weeks experienced a reduced susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmia. Read entire article.

Higher Dietary DHA/EPA Omega-3 Fatty Acids Associated with Lessened Progression in Age-Related Vision Loss
DHA and EPA was found to reduce the risk of further age-related vision loss in study participants who had early or intermediate age-related macular degeneration in at least one eye. Read entire article.

Running on Fish Oil: Benefits of Omega-3 Supplementation and Exercise
Combining fish oil supplementation with exercise resulted in a significant reduction in body fat in study participants who were obese or overweight and who had two cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as hypertension or elevated blood cholesterol. Read entire article.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Atherosclerotic Plaques in Patients
There was significantly lower inflammation in the carotid artherosclerotic plaques removed from 60 patients who took fish oil prior to the surgery than in the plaques of those in the placebo group. Read entire article.

Maternal Supplementation with DHA Omega-3 Fatty Acid in Pregnancy and Infant Visual Acuity
Infants of mothers who took 400 mg of DAH Omega-3 fatty acid during their pregnancy had more visual acuity than infants of mothers with lower intakes of DHA. Read entire article.

Fish Oil Provides 24-Hour Control of Circulating Fat Levels
Overweight men who took 3.6 grams of DHA/EPA for a 3-week duration in a cross-over controlled trial had 29-34% lower triglyceride levels than study participants who did not take DHA/EPA. Read entire article.

The DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute was co-founded by Dr. Bruce Holub and his son, Stephen Holub, in early 2006. It is the source for objective, science-based DHA, EPA, and Omega-3 information. Visit their web site at: DHA/EPA Omega-3 Institute.