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Contrary to popular belief, taking omega-3 fish oil supplements does little or nothing to protect your heart. Omega-3 fatty acids may still be part of a healthy diet, but according to a new study, there is no evidence that it brings cardiovascular benefits.
"This is the most complete systematic evaluation of the effects of omega 3. fat on cardiovascular health so far," reads in the study. Cochrane, an independent network of researchers, badyzed 79 trial studies involving more than 112,000 people, examining the impact of omega-3 supplements – not omega-3 taken directly. Fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essentially polyunsaturated fatty acids. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids involved in human physiology:
α-linolenic acid (ALA), found in vegetable oils such as margarine or seeds and nuts as the walnut or chia
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), that the body can produce from ALA, but can also be taken directly from fish oils and d & # 39; Fish oil;
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both present in marine oils, produced by phytoplankton
. supplement group were asked to take omega-3 fat supplements in the form of a capsule; only a few have looked directly at fish or other omega fats derived from plants such as margarine or nuts.
Fish oil supplements have made no real difference to the overall risk of death or heart attack, Cochrane researchers. Omega-based herbal fats gave a small advantage, but the difference was barely noticeable.
"We can be confident in the results of this review that go against the popular belief that long-chain omega-3 supplements protect the heart.", Said L & # 39; Cochrane's lead author, Dr. Lee Hooper of the University of East Anglia. "This extensive systematic review included information from thousands of people over long periods of time – essentially, Hooper and his colleagues note that moderate, high-quality evidence suggests that the increase in EPA and DHA has "Little or no effect on mortality or cardiovascular health (mainly evidence of supplement testing)". Some trials have shown that ALA can slightly reduce cardiovascular risk, mortality, and arrhythmia, but Cochrane researchers felt that these effects were of poor quality. The conclusions of the study read as follows:
"There is evidence that taking omega-3 capsules does not reduce heart disease, stroke or death." There is little evidence of effects of fish consumption.Although EPA and DHA reduce triglycerides, the additional omega-3 fatty acids are probably not helpful in preventing or treating heart and circulatory diseases.However, increasing ALA-based Plants may be slightly protective for some heart and circulatory diseases. "
However, this does not mean that you have to eliminate fish from your diet – there is still a lot of evidence suggesting that fish can be an integral part of your diet. A healthy diet, especially fatty fish, such as salmon, fresh tuna, or mackerel, which have "good" fats. However, the main point to remember from this study is that when it 's about protecting your heart, you should not put as much hope in omega – 3 supplements.
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