Fish Oil Explained
It’s one of the most popular supplements on the market. As with all supplements, it is very important to understand what they do and why you might want them before you buy them. When it comes to fish oil, it tends to rank pretty highly on the list of supplements that are actually worth buying. Most of the reasons why you might look into a fish oil supplement will be for general health purposes, although there is also a case to a way they might be beneficial in a sport setting. So, let’s talk about it.
What’s actually in fish oil?
As you might have guessed, what’s actually in the capsule is oil from a fish. Although, why is that special? Well, fish oil is made up of two different types of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Those two types of fats are eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These are what you might hear many people refer to as “healthy fats.” Their direct effect on your body is lowering systemic inflammation. This direct effect has multiple indirect effects on your body that are outlined in the following.
Lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in the united states, so taking some action to lower your risk is not a bad idea no matter who you are.
Reduced risk of heart disease is the main reason why you might look into taking a fish oil supplement, as it is going to be where their effect is the most potent [1,3]. A recent meta-analysis from the Journal of the American Heart Association [1] found that fish oil supplementation significantly reduced one’s risk of heart disease and heart attack. This is primarily done through lowering triglycerides and blood pressure.
Potential aid in reducing/preventing joint pain
Some studies show that joint pain may be eased with fish oil supplementation [3]. Fish oil can have this effect if the joint pain experienced is due to increased inflammation in the area. However, it should be noted that the body of research is not as large nor as compelling as the body of research for cardiovascular disease. Further, the research referenced here is in relation to an athletic population and sport-induced joint pain. However, I do believe if fish oil can benefit this population there is likely a beneficial effect to be had for the general population.
Improved mental health
This is one that likely surprises most people, however fish oil supplementation does seem to have a significant effect on mental health [2,5].
Liao et al. ran a meta-analysis which included 26 studies and 2,160 total subjects. The studies looked at supplementation of fish oil and symptoms of major depressive order. The subjects included patients who were taking antidepressants and patients who were not taking any medication. In both scenarios, fish oil showed a positive effect on symptoms of depression.
Kiecolt-Glaser et al. studied how fish oil would affect symptoms of anxiety and stress in medical students, which as you can imagine experience great deals of both throughout theirs schooling. Their study included subjects who took fish oil and others who took a placebo. They looked at blood biomarkers of stress and recorded reports from students discussing the symptoms they feel. The data were recorded on exam days as well as “lower-stress times.” What they found was that fish oil beat the placebo in both exam days and low stress days. This provides evidence to the case that fish oil is beneficial for anxiety and stress.
Increased blood glucose control
The last effect worth bringing up is the effect on fish oil can have on how your body handles glucose (sugar). It does this primarily by increasing the sensitivity of insulin (opposite of insulin resistance, which is good) [4]. Gao et al. ran a meta-analysis looking at how fish oil affects insulin sensitivity and found this to be the case, at least in the short term.
Some reasons why you might not need to take fish oil
As mentioned before, fish oil is made up of two important types of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Fish oil supplementation is beneficial if you are lacking these two fats in your day-to-day diet- which many people are. If your diet contains a sufficient amount of fatty fish, such as salmon, then the odds are that supplementing with fish oil might not be super beneficial for you on top of that. The same goes for if you eat plenty of avocados, walnuts, or other types of fatty foods. However, if your diet is low in these types of foods, then taking a fish oil supplement may be helpful.
Personally, I tend to eat a decent amount of salmon in the week and I take a fish oil supplement. On days where I have salmon, I don’t take any fish oil. However, on days that I don’t, then I take a fish oil supplement. So, if you’re someone who is considering buying a fish oil supplement, this is a strategy that might help you get the most bang for your buck with each bottle.
How much should you take?
The dosages in all the research referenced varied a bit from study to study. However, taking 2-3 grams per day will allow you to get all the benefits listed above. Of course, talk with your doctor first if there is any concern you might have.
My recommendation
Whenever you are buying a supplement, you want to make sure you are buying one that is third-party tested. Following this criteria, I recommend the following product:
References
Marine Omega-3 Supplementation and Cardiovascular Disease: An Updated Meta-Analysis of 13 Randomized Controlled Trials Involving 127 477 Participants
PubMed ID: 31567003
Efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs in depression: A meta-analysis
PubMed ID: 31383846
Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Benefits and Endpoints in Sport
PubMed ID: 30591639
Fish oil supplementation and insulin sensitivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
PubMed ID: 28673352
Omega-3 supplementation lowers inflammation and anxiety in medical students: a randomized controlled trial
PubMed ID: 21784145
