Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Benefits Of Omega 3
Sources Of Omega 3
Fish Oil Supplements
Mercury In Fish
Cod Liver Oil
Iceland & Omega 3
Fish Oil Benefit Information
Omega 3 RSS Feed & News

Benefits Of Omega 3
Fish Oil & Heart Health
Fish Oil And Stress Response
Hypertension & Fish Oil
Fish Oil & Depression
ADHD & Fish Oil
Fish Oil & Macular Degeneration
Fish Oil & Rhematoid Arthritis

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Site Map

How Fish Oil Benefits Our Health (Omega 3 Fatty Acids)

Want to learn more about fish oil and omega 3 health effects on our mind and body?

Here's a collection of some important studies that can be found in medical journals revealing the effects of omega 3 fatty acids.

The health benefits are wide ranging, and an ever increasing role of these oils are being discovered.

Fish Oil And Preventing Further Heart Attacks In Heart Attack Survivors

The DART (Diet and Reinfarction Trial) study of 2033 male survivors of myocardial infarctions, looked at the effect of fish or fish oil supplements in the diet on the risk of further heart attacks.

Those survivors who were advised to consume more oily fish (approximately 500 to 800 mg/day of omega 3 fatty acids) had a 29% reduction in total mortality.

A subgroup from this study who chose to take fish oil capsules providing 450 mg EPA and DHA per day instead of eating fish, had a 62% reduction in cardiac related death, and a 56% reduction in risk of death.[1,2]

The Physician’s Health Study looked at the effect of omega 3 fatty acids on the risk of sudden death in healthy male physicians.

It was found that those who had the highest levels of omega 3 fatty acids in their blood streams had a significantly lower risk of sudden death, with a relative risk of 19% compared to the group with the lowest omega 3 fatty acid levels. The group with the second highest levels of omega 3 had a relative risk of 28%.[5]

More and more cardiologists and family physicians are recommending fish oil supplements to patients as a natural way to prevent heart problems.

Click here to read more about studies on fish oil (omega 3) and heart health

Fish Oils And Hypertension

Fish oil has also been found to benefit hypertension.

Here's a summary of the relationship between high blood pressure and omega 3 fish oils.

Omega 3 Fish Oil And Stress

Here's a study looking at the effect of omega 3 fish oil in reducing the stress response.

Fish Oils And Depression

Nations with the highest omega 3 fatty acid intakes have the lowest levels of major depression, bipolar disorder, and homicide.

Japan has the lowest levels of depression (0.12% of population)[7], Iceland the lowest levels of bipolar depression[8], and Hong Kong with the lowest homicide levels[9]. These countries also have the fish oil consumption with about 730 to 1000 mg/day of EPA and DHA, compared to the US, where consumption of DHA and EPA on average is about 180 mg/day.[7,8,9]

In terms of treating patients with depression, fish oil has also been shown to improve symptoms in those on "standard" therapy.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study by Horrabin published in 2002, found that adding 1 g/day of E-EPA (one of the two omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil) to antidepressant medication, resulted in significant decreases in depression among patients who had remained depressed despite having had an adequate trial of an antidepressant.[7]

Click here to read more about omega 3 / fish oil and depression.

ADHD And Fish Oil In Children

Does omega 3 fatty acids help children with ADHD or ADD?

To find out more, read about studies on fish oil / omega 3 and ADHD / ADD treatment.

Omega 3 In Bipolar Disorder

A 4-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted by Stoll and colleagues, where patients took 9.6 g/day of omega 3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil tablets showed that those who had received the omega 3 fatty acids "stayed well significantly longer, showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms, demonstrated significant clinical improvement, and displayed significant increases in global functioning compared with patients who had received placebo."[11]

Omega 3 And Brain Functioning And Dementia

40% of fatty acids in the brain are DHA (one of the two omega 3 fatty acids that come from fish oil, the other being EPA).

Studies have reported that those with 2.7 or more servings of fish per week or 180 mg or more DHA per day (which is found in 1 fish oil capsule a day) is associated with 50% decreased risk of dementia.[12]

Fish Oils And Hostility

In a large, cross-sectional observational study by Iribarren and colleagues, it was observed that consumption of DHA and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids was associated with decreased levels of hostility in an urban sample of young adults.[13]

Also a 2-month, placebo-controlled study by Harvard researchers showed a reduction in aggression in patients with borderline personality disorder who were given 1g a day of EPA.[14]

Omega 3 Fatty Acids In Premenstrual Symptoms (PMS)

In a trial published in 2003, patients who were given 2g of Antarctic krill, a marine source of omega 3, for 1 month, then for the 8 days before menstruation and 2 days after, for the following 2 months, had significantly less depressive symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.[15]

Fish Oil And Metabolic Syndrome, Triglycerides

Metabolic syndrome or syndrome X is being increasingly found in Western society, and indeed traditional societies that are being Westernized.

It is defined as a combination of 3 or more of the following:
waist measurement > 102cm for males and 88cm for females
blood trigycerides > 150mg/dl, HDL cholesterol <40mg/dl
blood pressure higher than 130/85
fasting blood glucose > 110 mg/dl.

The syndrome is though to be present in about 44% of the adult US population aged 50 years and above.[16]

Fish oil has been found that 3 weeks of daily supplementation with fish oil (1.1 g EPA and 0.7 g DHA/day) in healthy individuals, decreased insulin response to oral glucose load by approximately 40%, and increasing glycogen uptake, suggesting improved insulin sensitivity.[17] It is a decrease in insulin sensitivity that ultimately results in diabetes type 2.

Also, omega 3 supplementation of 4g per day over a 6 week period in middle aged men, has been shown to decrease triglyceride levels by 20% [18]

Fish Oil And Macular Degeneration

There has been studies on the efect of fish oil on macular degeneration of the eye, an increasingly found condition affection the aging population.

Click here to read more about fish oil and macular degeneration.

Fish Oil And Rheumatoid Arthritis

Studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids have benefit in rheumatoid arthritis with a dosage of 3g a day, and a duration of 12 weeks for these benefits to be seen.[19]

See this page on an assessment of how well omega 3 fatty acids treat rheumatoid arthitis.

To read about where we get omega 3 oils from our diet, see this page on food sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

Fish Oil And Omega 3 And Asthma

Does omega 3s help treat asthma? Here's the results of a study published in 2006 on whether fish oils and omega 3s are good for treating asthma and its use as a natural asthma treatment.

Omega 3 Benefits: Journal References

• 1. Burr ML, Fehily AM, Gilbert JF, et al. Effects of changes in fat, fish, and fibre intakes on death and myocardial reinfarction: diet and reinfarction trial (DART). Lancet. 1989;2:757-761.

• 2. Burr ML, Sweetham PM, Fehily AM. Diet and reinfarction. Eur Heart J. 1994;15:1152-1153.

• 5. Christine M. Albert. Blood Levels of Long-Chain n–3 Fatty Acids and the Risk of Sudden Death. NEJM Volume 346:1113-1118 April 11, 2002 Number 15.

• 7. Hibbeln JR. Fish consumption and major depression. Lancet. 1998;351:1213.

• 8. Noaghiul S, Hibbeln JR. Cross-national comparisons of seafood consumption and rates of bipolar disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160:2222-2227.

• 9. Hibbeln JR. Seafood consumption and homicide mortality. A cross-national ecological analysis. World Rev Nutr Diet. 2001;88:41-46.

• 11. Steffany J. Fredman. American Psychiatric Association 2004 Annual Meeting: The Application of Nutrition to Psychiatric Illness. May 1 - 6, 2004, New York. Medscape Conference Coverage.

• 12. Schaefer E. Omega-3 fatty acids and dementia. Presented at the omega-3 fatty acids: Recommendations for therapeutics and prevention symposium. May 21, 2005. New York.

• 13. Iribarren C, et al. Dietary intake of n-3, n-6 fatty acids and fish: relationship with hostility in young adults--the CARDIA study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004;58:24-31.

• 14. Zanarini MC, Frankenburg FR: omega-3 fatty acid treatment of women with borderline personality disorder: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.
Am J Psychiatry 2003, 160:167-169.

• 15. Sampalis F, et al. Evaluation of the effects of Neptune Krill Oil on the management of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea. Altern Med Rev 2003, 8:171-179.

• 16. Alexander CM, et al. NCEP-defined metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and prevalence of coronary heart disease among NHANES participants age 50 years and older. Diabetes 2003;52:1201-1204.

• 17. Delarue J, Couet C, Cohen R, et al. Effects of fish oil on metabolic responses to oral fructose and glucose loads in healthy humans. Am J Physiol. 1996;270:E353-E362.

• 18. Mori TA, Burke V, Puddey IB, et al. Purified eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids have differential effects on serum lipids and lipoproteins, LDL particle size, glucose, and insulin in mildly hyperlipidemic men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:1085-1094.

• 19. Kremer JM. N-3 fatty acid supplements in rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:349S-351S.

Menu Omega 3 Fatty Acids Benefits Of Omega 3 Sources Of Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplements Mercury In Fish Cod Liver Oil Iceland & Omega 3 Fish Oil Benefit Information Omega 3 RSS Feed & News Read More Benefits Of Omega 3 Fish Oil & Heart Health Fish Oil And Stress Response Hypertension & Fish Oil Fish Oil & Depression ADHD & Fish Oil Fish Oil & Macular Degeneration Fish Oil & Rhematoid Arthritis		Omega 3 Fatty Acids Site Map

		How Fish Oil Benefits Our Health (Omega 3 Fatty Acids) Want to learn more about fish oil and omega 3 health effects on our mind and body? Here's a collection of some important studies that can be found in medical journals revealing the effects of omega 3 fatty acids. The health benefits are wide ranging, and an ever increasing role of these oils are being discovered. Fish Oil And Preventing Further Heart Attacks In Heart Attack Survivors The DART (Diet and Reinfarction Trial) study of 2033 male survivors of myocardial infarctions, looked at the effect of fish or fish oil supplements in the diet on the risk of further heart attacks. Those survivors who were advised to consume more oily fish (approximately 500 to 800 mg/day of omega 3 fatty acids) had a 29% reduction in total mortality. A subgroup from this study who chose to take fish oil capsules providing 450 mg EPA and DHA per day instead of eating fish, had a 62% reduction in cardiac related death, and a 56% reduction in risk of death.[1,2] The Physician’s Health Study looked at the effect of omega 3 fatty acids on the risk of sudden death in healthy male physicians. It was found that those who had the highest levels of omega 3 fatty acids in their blood streams had a significantly lower risk of sudden death, with a relative risk of 19% compared to the group with the lowest omega 3 fatty acid levels. The group with the second highest levels of omega 3 had a relative risk of 28%.[5] More and more cardiologists and family physicians are recommending fish oil supplements to patients as a natural way to prevent heart problems. Click here to read more about studies on fish oil (omega 3) and heart health Fish Oils And Hypertension Fish oil has also been found to benefit hypertension. Here's a summary of the relationship between high blood pressure and omega 3 fish oils. Omega 3 Fish Oil And Stress Here's a study looking at the effect of omega 3 fish oil in reducing the stress response. Fish Oils And Depression Nations with the highest omega 3 fatty acid intakes have the lowest levels of major depression, bipolar disorder, and homicide. Japan has the lowest levels of depression (0.12% of population)[7], Iceland the lowest levels of bipolar depression[8], and Hong Kong with the lowest homicide levels[9]. These countries also have the fish oil consumption with about 730 to 1000 mg/day of EPA and DHA, compared to the US, where consumption of DHA and EPA on average is about 180 mg/day.[7,8,9] In terms of treating patients with depression, fish oil has also been shown to improve symptoms in those on "standard" therapy. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study by Horrabin published in 2002, found that adding 1 g/day of E-EPA (one of the two omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil) to antidepressant medication, resulted in significant decreases in depression among patients who had remained depressed despite having had an adequate trial of an antidepressant.[7] Click here to read more about omega 3 / fish oil and depression. ADHD And Fish Oil In Children Does omega 3 fatty acids help children with ADHD or ADD? To find out more, read about studies on fish oil / omega 3 and ADHD / ADD treatment. Omega 3 In Bipolar Disorder A 4-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted by Stoll and colleagues, where patients took 9.6 g/day of omega 3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil tablets showed that those who had received the omega 3 fatty acids "stayed well significantly longer, showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms, demonstrated significant clinical improvement, and displayed significant increases in global functioning compared with patients who had received placebo."[11] Omega 3 And Brain Functioning And Dementia 40% of fatty acids in the brain are DHA (one of the two omega 3 fatty acids that come from fish oil, the other being EPA). Studies have reported that those with 2.7 or more servings of fish per week or 180 mg or more DHA per day (which is found in 1 fish oil capsule a day) is associated with 50% decreased risk of dementia.[12] Fish Oils And Hostility In a large, cross-sectional observational study by Iribarren and colleagues, it was observed that consumption of DHA and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids was associated with decreased levels of hostility in an urban sample of young adults.[13] Also a 2-month, placebo-controlled study by Harvard researchers showed a reduction in aggression in patients with borderline personality disorder who were given 1g a day of EPA.[14] Omega 3 Fatty Acids In Premenstrual Symptoms (PMS) In a trial published in 2003, patients who were given 2g of Antarctic krill, a marine source of omega 3, for 1 month, then for the 8 days before menstruation and 2 days after, for the following 2 months, had significantly less depressive symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.[15] Fish Oil And Metabolic Syndrome, Triglycerides Metabolic syndrome or syndrome X is being increasingly found in Western society, and indeed traditional societies that are being Westernized. It is defined as a combination of 3 or more of the following: waist measurement > 102cm for males and 88cm for females blood trigycerides > 150mg/dl, HDL cholesterol <40mg/dl blood pressure higher than 130/85 fasting blood glucose > 110 mg/dl. The syndrome is though to be present in about 44% of the adult US population aged 50 years and above.[16] Fish oil has been found that 3 weeks of daily supplementation with fish oil (1.1 g EPA and 0.7 g DHA/day) in healthy individuals, decreased insulin response to oral glucose load by approximately 40%, and increasing glycogen uptake, suggesting improved insulin sensitivity.[17] It is a decrease in insulin sensitivity that ultimately results in diabetes type 2. Also, omega 3 supplementation of 4g per day over a 6 week period in middle aged men, has been shown to decrease triglyceride levels by 20% [18] Fish Oil And Macular Degeneration There has been studies on the efect of fish oil on macular degeneration of the eye, an increasingly found condition affection the aging population. Click here to read more about fish oil and macular degeneration. Fish Oil And Rheumatoid Arthritis Studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids have benefit in rheumatoid arthritis with a dosage of 3g a day, and a duration of 12 weeks for these benefits to be seen.[19] See this page on an assessment of how well omega 3 fatty acids treat rheumatoid arthitis. To read about where we get omega 3 oils from our diet, see this page on food sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Fish Oil And Omega 3 And Asthma Does omega 3s help treat asthma? Here's the results of a study published in 2006 on whether fish oils and omega 3s are good for treating asthma and its use as a natural asthma treatment. Omega 3 Benefits: Journal References • 1. Burr ML, Fehily AM, Gilbert JF, et al. Effects of changes in fat, fish, and fibre intakes on death and myocardial reinfarction: diet and reinfarction trial (DART). Lancet. 1989;2:757-761. • 2. Burr ML, Sweetham PM, Fehily AM. Diet and reinfarction. Eur Heart J. 1994;15:1152-1153. • 5. Christine M. Albert. Blood Levels of Long-Chain n–3 Fatty Acids and the Risk of Sudden Death. NEJM Volume 346:1113-1118 April 11, 2002 Number 15. • 7. Hibbeln JR. Fish consumption and major depression. Lancet. 1998;351:1213. • 8. Noaghiul S, Hibbeln JR. Cross-national comparisons of seafood consumption and rates of bipolar disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160:2222-2227. • 9. Hibbeln JR. Seafood consumption and homicide mortality. A cross-national ecological analysis. World Rev Nutr Diet. 2001;88:41-46. • 11. Steffany J. Fredman. American Psychiatric Association 2004 Annual Meeting: The Application of Nutrition to Psychiatric Illness. May 1 - 6, 2004, New York. Medscape Conference Coverage. • 12. Schaefer E. Omega-3 fatty acids and dementia. Presented at the omega-3 fatty acids: Recommendations for therapeutics and prevention symposium. May 21, 2005. New York. • 13. Iribarren C, et al. Dietary intake of n-3, n-6 fatty acids and fish: relationship with hostility in young adults--the CARDIA study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2004;58:24-31. • 14. Zanarini MC, Frankenburg FR: omega-3 fatty acid treatment of women with borderline personality disorder: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Am J Psychiatry 2003, 160:167-169. • 15. Sampalis F, et al. Evaluation of the effects of Neptune Krill Oil on the management of premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea. Altern Med Rev 2003, 8:171-179. • 16. Alexander CM, et al. NCEP-defined metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and prevalence of coronary heart disease among NHANES participants age 50 years and older. Diabetes 2003;52:1201-1204. • 17. Delarue J, Couet C, Cohen R, et al. Effects of fish oil on metabolic responses to oral fructose and glucose loads in healthy humans. Am J Physiol. 1996;270:E353-E362. • 18. Mori TA, Burke V, Puddey IB, et al. Purified eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids have differential effects on serum lipids and lipoproteins, LDL particle size, glucose, and insulin in mildly hyperlipidemic men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:1085-1094. • 19. Kremer JM. N-3 fatty acid supplements in rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:349S-351S.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids Home \| Site Map