BMJ  2006;332:739-740 (1 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.38798.680185.47 (published 24 March 2006)

Editorial

Oily fish and omega 3 fat supplements

Health recommendations conflict with concerns about dwindling supply

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Seventy five years ago, long chain omega 3 fatty acids were added to the list of essential nutrients. Later in the 20th century, the properties of marine polyunsaturated oils were linked with several health benefits, including protection from cardiovascular disease. However, a high quality systematic review published in this week's BMJ draws attention to uncertainties about some of the health benefits attributed to omega 3 fats.¹

The review shows that the evidence for a reduction in cardiovascular events and mortality is less conclusive than we believed. A previous meta-analysis indicates that mortality is reduced owing to fewer fatal coronary events among people ingesting omega 3 fatty acids,² but the current review found no strong evidence of a reduction in combined cardiovascular events. The claim that omega 3 fats reduce the risk of cancer is not supported here or by another recent systematic review.³ For each health outcome there are . . . [Full text of this article]

UCL Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Royal Free and University College London Medical School, London WC1E 6BT
(e.brunner@ucl.ac.uk)

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Relevant Article

Risks and benefits of omega 3 fats for mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review

Lee Hooper, Rachel L Thompson, Roger A Harrison, Carolyn D Summerbell, Andy R Ness, Helen J Moore, Helen V Worthington, Paul N Durrington, Julian P T Higgins, Nigel E Capps, Rudolph A Riemersma, Shah B J Ebrahim, and George Davey Smith
BMJ 2006 332: 752-760. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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