Unfortunately, most people don’t get all their nutrient needs through food alone, and that’s where supplements come in to help fill the gap. For example, if you’re among the 95% of the U.S. population who don’t get enough fiber, you may choose to add a fiber supplement to your diet, such as a powder you can add to a smoothie or glass of water. Or if you don’t get enough calcium through your diet, you may choose to do your bones a favor and take a calcium supplement each day.
While supplements can be beneficial in filling any gaps between diet and nutritional needs, cardiologists say that there’s one common supplement many people take for heart health that could be doing more harm than good.
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“There has never been a clinical trial to show the benefits of an over-the-counter fish oil supplement. In fact, some data show that these supplements can be harmful,” Dr. Pollock says.
This news may come as a surprise. After all, there’s a direct link between eating fish regularly and supporting heart health. Scientific research shows that regularly eating fish lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, and researchers believe that this is due to the food’s high omega-3 fatty acid content.
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Dr. Frank Y. Han, MD, a cardiologist at OSF Healthcare, also acknowledges the connection between high doses of fish oil and atrial fibrillation, but says that the reason for the connection is still unknown. “It’s thought to be through the fish oil changing the cell membrane structure and ion channel behavior," he says. Dr. Han says consuming too much fish oil can also cause gastrointestinal distress, changes in blood parameters and increase the risk of bleeding.
A Safer Way To Get Enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Instead of taking a fish oil supplement, Dr. Pollock says to ask your cardiologist for a prescription omega-3 fatty acid purified EPA (icosapent ethyl) medication, after discussing if you need it in the first place. “Omega-3 fatty acid purified EPA (icosapent ethyl) is beneficial in prescription strength only and is most often used in combination with statins, or cholesterol-lowering medications, to help lower cardiovascular risk,” he says. In other words, if you don’t have high cholesterol, you likely don’t need to be taking it.
There are other ways to consume omega-3 fatty acids besides eating fish, too. Flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts and hemp seeds all contain omega-3 fatty acids.
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Sources
Dr. Jeremy Pollock, MD, FACC, cardiologist at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical CenterDr. Frank Y. Han, MD, cardiologist at OSF HealthcareZhang, B., Xiong, K., Cai, J., & Ma, A. (2020). Fish consumption and coronary heart disease: A meta-analysis. Nutrients, 12(8), Article 2278. Heart, G. (2021). Omega-3 supplementation linked with atrial fibrillation risk: A meta-analysis. Cardiovascular Journal of Africa, 32(3), 167.Hence then, the article about in high doses cardiologists say this heart healthy supplement may be doing more harm than good was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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