Taking omega-3 supplements is not better for the heart



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Omega-3 supplements have become very popular for their supposed qualities when it comes to preventing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks. However, perhaps its benefits have been exaggerated. A new study concludes that these supplements have little or no effect.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for our health and can be found in a handful of foods like some oily fish or nuts. The capsules of this natural substance ensure in its perspective that among its advantages is to protect cardiovascular health. Technically, this is not a lie. The results of the first clinical trials with omega-3s suggested that consumption of this supplement had benefits.

The question is that a team of scientists from the prestigious organization Cochrane systematic review collected and reviewed data from 72 studies performed on a huge sample of 112,000 people. All of these studies sought to isolate the possible benefits of taking omega-3 supplements in one of its six short-chain or long-chain strains.

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After eliminating 25 studies whose methodology made them unreliable, the researchers compared rest and discovered that there is little difference between taking fatty acid supplements and do not take them. The risk of death from cardiovascular events is 8.8% compared to 9% in the control group.

On the other hand, long chain fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) help to eliminate blood triglycerides, but also eliminate the so-called "good cholesterol", lipoproteins high density or HDL. The possible benefit is canceled. In some cases, the additional intake of fatty acids reduced the risk of heart irregularities from 3.3 to 2.6%, but again, it is such a marginal benefit that It does not have significant weight.

Cochrane was conducted at the request of the World Health Organization, which wanted to review precisely the clinical studies of the 80s and 90s that extolled the virtues of these supplements. In the end, the problem of omega-3s is the same as that of vitamin supplements. It's not bad to take them. It is that it will not protect us from diseases as if they were some kind of vaccine. Professor Tim Chico, from the Center for Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Sheffield and not associated with the study sums up the problem perfectly for The Guardian:

Experience tells us that some diets are associated at a lower cardiovascular risk, but try to reduce benefiting from a single supplement has very little effect. It came with vitamins and now in Cochrane have shown the same with Omega-3. Vitamin supplements are expensive. My advice to those who buy them to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is to invest that money in the purchase of vegetables.

[vía Medical Express]
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