Some of those conditions are correlated with hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure), high LDL (“bad cholesterol”), and low HDL (“good cholesterol”) cholesterol levels, as well as high triglyceride levels. Fish oil can help decrease some of those risks, thus improving your heart health.
Fish oil and garlic are the two foods with a well-known reputation regarding heart health, right on par with dark chocolate and red wine. Apart from being good for your heart, though, you may notice that they have one more common characteristic – they are notorious for their specific scents. So, here’s a pro tip: if you do decide to try these tactics, you may want to assure you have access to some mints after that!
Key facts about fish oil
When you think about fish, you think of omega-3 fatty acids, exactly where most of the benefits of fish oil originate.
It contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are two main omega-3s, apart from vitamins A and D.
Fish oil may help lessen your risk of developing heart disease by lowering the risk factors that contribute to it.
There are two options for getting fish oil into your body – eating more oily fish and taking omega-3 supplements.
The most significant side effect of fish oil supplementation is that signature “fishy” breath we all know.
Let’s talk more about the omega-3 fatty acids you can get from supplements or eat a meal rich in oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Omega-3s are one of two noteworthy types of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with the other one being the omega-6 fatty acid group. There are a variety of omega-3 fatty acids. However, the primary ones are EPA, DHA, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Besides EPA and DHA, fish oil contains other fats, as well as vitamins A and D. You can eat fish like mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring, salmon, and cod liver to get these fatty acids. Of course, there is always an option to use supplements in the form of capsules.
The role of fish oil in heart health
Fish oil has a well-established reputation for being good for your heart health, but the science isn’t all that clear. When it comes to cardiovascular disease, there is several risk factor to consider, such as heart conditions that affect blood vessels, the heart’s structure, or the development of potentially dangerous blood clots. Some of those conditions are correlated with hypertension, high levels of LDL (“bad cholesterol”), and low levels of HDL (“good cholesterol”), apart from increased triglyceride levels in the bloodstream. Fish oil may help lower some of those risks, thus improving your heart health.
However, research has not given us a clear answer. Multiple studies didn’t find that fish oil supplementation has an effect on the risks of cardiovascular disease.
A study that sampled nearly 78,000 people found that there is no substantial evidence that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can protect people with high risk from actually developing heart disease. On the other hand, clinicians are arguing that these studies are flawed and that these findings are questionable. Another study found that cardiovascular disease risk didn’t significantly decrease, but the risk of dying from such a disease did.
There is, however, research that has found fish oil does impact overall heart health in several ways. It can lower blood pressure in patients with systolic hypertension. It can also improve blood flow, as one review of multiple studies that looked at blood vessel dilatation concluded. Fish oil may help lower high triglyceride levels in patients who have high triglycerides. However, this doesn’t mean we should discredit the importance of high triglyceride levels. We do know that high triglyceride levels are associated with a higher risk of CVD. What is unclear, though, is whether the triglycerides themselves are an independent risk factor or if these levels can be a sign of something else, like obesity, diabetes, or other metabolic issues that may influence the risk of heart disease. The studies also examined the effects of lowering the levels of triglycerides with drugs that speed up the removal of triglycerides from the blood.
Getting the right amount of omega-3’s
The obvious way to go is getting enough omega-3 acids by eating fish. You should choose fatty fish rich in oil such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, herring, and fatty tuna at least a couple of times a week. This shouldn’t be a big change if you love eating fish and a fan of diets such as the Mediterranean diet. But, if that’s not the case, supplements are a way to go. Also, suppose you are following a special diet, such as vegan or vegetarian. In that case, the option for you is to go with alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 that can be found in plants. Another is algae oil, which may contain DHA and EPA. Another great option to meet your daily intake is flaxseed oil, and you can reach out for chia seeds and walnuts to get more ALA. Otherwise, an omega-3 supplement may be right for you. Omega-3 dietary supplements are also an increasingly popular way to get the recommended dietary allowance of essential fatty acids in the body due to their effectiveness in supplementing a diet with little exposure to oily fish.
Recommended intake differs for different groups, but the World Health Organization (WHO) advises 200-500 mg of combined EPA and DHA. This can be in grams on some packaging, so you should choose dietary supplements that have 0.2 to 0.5 grams of these two fatty acids. It would help if you were cautious of taking the higher doses, though, which should only be taken under a medical professional’s supervision.
Side effects of fish oil
There is one well-known side effect of fish oil supplements: the signature fishy breath or burps that can come shortly after taking the capsules. There are no studies on this effect, so the potential fixes are anecdotal. Many consumers suggest that fishy burps disappear if you store the fish oil in the fridge. Some companies that produce fish oil supplements address this common side effect by introducing flavors such as peppermint or orange. Other side effects of these supplements may include a bloody nose, heartburn, gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, and belching. Always consult your doctor before going on a omega-3 supplement regimen.
