A Word from Dr

A Word from Dr. Pfenninger About…Fish Oil Supplements

Interest in food supplements is so high that several columns in the past were dedicated to this issue. We have mentioned fish oil briefly. Now it appears that daily use of fish oil has received the blessings of, and is recommended by, the American Heart Association.

Studies show that taking 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil capsules reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death by 45% and overall mortality from heart and vessel disease by 17%. This is an amazing statistic. What’s also unique in today’s world is that the capsules can cost as little as five cents each!

Ideally, fish should be consumed every day. This would include a 3 ounce serving of fatty fish such as salmon, herring, trout, or sardines. If leaner fish such as canned tuna, halibut and flounder are used, they must be consumed in larger portions. Realizing that many Americans find it difficult to eat this amount of fish on a daily basis, the American Heart Association concludes that a one gram fish oil capsule which contains 180 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 120 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can replace the fish. Three capsules per day are recommended for those with documented heart disease.

The only down side to heavy fish consumption (besides the cost) is that some fish may contain unhealthy levels of mercury. This may be an issue for children and women who are pregnant or breast feeding. If fish oil capsules are of good quality, they should be free of contaminants.

The US Pharmacopoeia has introduced a program which now certifies brands of nutritional supplements. This was also discussed in a past column. To date, they have not reviewed fish oil. However, if you look at the container label and find that each pill contains 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA, you can be somewhat reassured that it is a quality product.

Fish oil is the first supplement ever recommended by the American Heart Association. It should be noted that it is only recommended for those who have documented heart disease. So what about those who have not yet been proven to have heart vessel problems? The best thing would be to eat at least three servings of fish per week. But will you do that? The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and bread along with less meat, no butter or cream, and liberal use of canola oil margarine; and flaxseed, olive and soy bean oils. After five years of follow-up, people on the Mediterranean diet had a 60% reduction in overall mortality and a 72% decrease in major heart events. Since fish oil is so beneficial without side effects, and since most of us don’t consume the fish we should, fish oil capsules can be substituted for the fish and taken by everyone to prevent heart disease even before it starts.

So, if you really want to do something healthy for yourself to prevent heart disease, don’t smoke, exercise, avoid obesity, and eat right. Either eat fish at a minimum of two to three times per week (preferably every day), or add on fish oil supplements in addition to the prudent diet recommendations above.

Other sources of omega-3’s include ground flax seed, flaxseed oil capsules, orange juice that has been supplemented with omega-3’s, virgin olive oil, and genetically engineered butter.