Related News
OMEGA-3 pills don't help heart, study finds
Source: Agencies |
September 13, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
OMEGA-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as sardines and salmon and once touted as a way of staving off heart disease and stroke, don't help after all, according to a Greek study.
Based on a review and analysis of previous clinical trials including more than 68,000 participants, Greek researchers whose report appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association said the fatty acids have no impact on overall death rates, deaths from heart disease, or strokes and heart attacks.
This was true whether they were obtained from supplements such as pills, or from fish in the diet, said the researchers, led by Mosef Elisef at the University Hospital of Ioannina.
A decade ago, medical evidence suggested boosting omega-3s, including acids known as EPA and DHA, with food or supplements had a strong protective effect even though the mechanism wasn't understood.
But since then, the picture has grown clouded. Earlier this year, a group of Korean researchers found that omega-3 supplements had no effect on heart disease or death based on 20,000 participants in previous trials. The current study pooled results of 18 clinical trials that assigned participants randomly to take either omega-3 supplements, or not.
People who eat fish often may be replacing things like steak, hamburgers or quiche, making for a healthier diet. Instead of supplements, Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, recommended eating fish at least twice a week, having a diet rich in whole grains and vegetables, getting lots of physical activity, and not smoking.
Based on a review and analysis of previous clinical trials including more than 68,000 participants, Greek researchers whose report appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association said the fatty acids have no impact on overall death rates, deaths from heart disease, or strokes and heart attacks.
This was true whether they were obtained from supplements such as pills, or from fish in the diet, said the researchers, led by Mosef Elisef at the University Hospital of Ioannina.
A decade ago, medical evidence suggested boosting omega-3s, including acids known as EPA and DHA, with food or supplements had a strong protective effect even though the mechanism wasn't understood.
But since then, the picture has grown clouded. Earlier this year, a group of Korean researchers found that omega-3 supplements had no effect on heart disease or death based on 20,000 participants in previous trials. The current study pooled results of 18 clinical trials that assigned participants randomly to take either omega-3 supplements, or not.
People who eat fish often may be replacing things like steak, hamburgers or quiche, making for a healthier diet. Instead of supplements, Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, recommended eating fish at least twice a week, having a diet rich in whole grains and vegetables, getting lots of physical activity, and not smoking.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
