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Fish oil supplements
– The truth!

Find out the naked truth that reveals whether fish oil supplements prevent heart disease and
lower cholesterol.

You might have heard a lot that fish oil supplements are good for health, reduce the risk of heart disease and may lower cholesterol. But, is all this true?

The only way to find out is by looking at the main evidence surrounding fish oil supplements, heart disease and cholesterol, and finally coming to a conclusion.

This is what you will find below.

  • Fish oil supplements and heart disease/ attack.

    Scientists have found that a diet high in fish—especially cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel—reduces the incidence of heart disease. Since then, they've been investigating omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil supplements.

    Although eating fish has been found to reduce heart disease, no one yet knows if fish oil supplements do. However, we know that fish oil can decrease certain heart disease risk factors.

    Fish oil has been found to decrease certain blood fats called triglycerides, raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, and thin the blood a bit. These effects might be why eating fish prevents heart attacks

    In May 2002 the American Heart Association announced that daily supplements of a fatty acid found in fish oil reduces the risk of sudden death in heart attack survivors by half.

    Previous research has found that eating oily fish such as tuna and salmon can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death caused by a particular type of irregular heartbeat. This study suggests fish oil supplements, rather than dietary fish oil, could be a therapy without side effects for heart patients.

    Please note that the above study refers to heart attack survivors. This means what it says. Fish oil reduces the risk of sudden death, if you had a previous heart attack and does not prevent a heart attack.

    I have also put in bold the words fish oil. The reason is that fish oil may work, but how about fish oil supplements.

    The answer can be found in another statement by the American Heart Association. It said that it does not recommend fish oil supplements (capsules) and will not recommend them until there is compelling evidence that they benefit overall cardiovascular health.

    Instead, the association said it recommends consuming two servings of fish twice a week. Fish are a good source of protein without the high saturated fat found in fatty meat products.

    I believe this is a clear indication of “how far” fish oil supplements help to prevent heart disease and heart attacks, which does not seem to be that far anyway.

    That’s why I do not recommend a fish oil supplement here, since apparently it does not help in preventing neither heart disease and heart attack, nor cholesterol. In case you’re looking to find more information on how to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease (without using fish oil supplements of course), click here.

  • Fish oil supplements and cholesterol

    There are many studies that claim fish oil and fish oil supplements reduce cholesterol.

    Apparently fish oil has been found to decrease certain blood fats called triglycerides, raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, and thin the blood a bit. However, before jumping to a conclusion let’s look at the evidence.

    In the year 2000, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) researched 24 studies that were made in relation to fish oil, fish oil supplements and lowering cholesterol. What did they find follows.

    Out of the 24 studies, 23 did not show a decrease of cholesterol levels after consuming fish oil supplements. Some of them even increased cholesterol levels in patients.

    Only one study proved that a special patented supplement containing fish oil and garlic, lowered overall cholesterol by 11 percent. And if you notice this was a patented product. It definitely would have had a novelty that other fish oil supplements do not have, otherwise no patent would have been granted.

    Conclusion!? Normal fish oil supplements do not lower cholesterol. Of course they may help in brain development because of omega-3 fatty acids. But as far as cholesterol is concerned there is no proof that it can lower cholesterol.

    I understand that this is probably different from whatever you’ve read in other websites that sell fish oil supplements, but right now this seems to be the truth.

    However, there are other supplements that have been scientifically proved to lower cholesterol. One of them for example is policosanol.

    Policosanol works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of cholesterol. Clinical studies show that policosanol is as effective as prescription drugs on how to loweri cholesterol naturally, without side effects.

    For example, in a study of 53 diabetic patients, policosanol lowered total cholesterol by 14.2 percent, LDL (bad) cholesterol 20.4 percent and even raised the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol by 7.5 percent

    To find more on how you can lower cholesterol through policosanol, click here.

    The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. The information and claims made in this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.