If you’re taking fish oil supplements as a way to support your health goals, perhaps it’s worth taking an informed look at what these supplements can and can’t do. After all, you’re not eating the supplements because you like how they taste, right?
Generally speaking, you’re better off getting your nutrition straight from food sources rather than in supplement form. With wild-caught seafood — or, specifically, with omega-3s — the story is similar: No one has yet figured out how to reduce the healthful qualities of an oily fish like wild-caught salmon into a capsule or “magic pill.”
There are a few reasons why there’s power in getting your fish oils straight from the source.
Fish Oil Supplements Have Been Hyped Up
Despite years of hype surrounding the benefits of fish oil supplementation, a growing body of evidence suggests mixed conclusions.
It’s a confusing pile of studies and conclusions to wade through, but the latest bit of evidence comes from a large study published last year by the New England Journal of Medicine. The study determined that fish oil supplementation was simply not effective when compared to a placebo. It’s worth noting that the study participants were in a high-risk age range in terms of cardiovascular events (as well as cancers), folks who perhaps have the most to gain from the established health benefits of omega-3s.
Beyond cardiovascular events, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has concluded that the most up to date research around omega-3 supplementation does not support the idea that it can prevent heart disease from developing to begin with. This is significant when you consider the reality that heart disease is one of the leading causes of mortality in the U.S.
As for those of you taking fish oil supplements to support brain function well into your golden years, you also may want to reconsider where you’re getting your omega-3s. According to a leading expert in the field of brain function and aging, an important meta-analysis from 2016 found that supplementation had no effect on preserving or improving brain function.
Fish Consumption Is Effective
A separate study from 2016 found that eating fish or shellfish once a week for an entire year did support cognitive health by preserving significant aspects of brain function that help keep your mind sharp.
Similarly, the NIH emphasizes that eating real seafood regularly (at least one serving per week) has real benefits that prevent mortality from heart disease. And the American Heart Association recently reaffirmed their recommendation that people consume two-3.5 ounce servings of low-mercury, oily varieties of fish (like salmon!) twice per week as a way to support heart health.
There’s no clearly established data that explains exactly why eating oily fish is beneficial where fish oil supplements are not. But experts surmise that this is due to the fact that fish contain more than just omega-3s; fish contain a variety of vitamins and minerals are beneficial for heart and brain health, something that fish oil supplements are unable to replicate.
Replacing the Bad with the Good
Another clear advantage of eating fish rather than fish oil supplements is that you benefit from a replacement effect. In other words, eating a serving of fish means that you’re eating a clean, lean protein in place of a less healthy alternative.
This indirect benefit may not sound as consequential as data points that outline the more direct benefits of fish consumption. But it’s just as important, and frequently cited by health officials who encourage real fish over supplements.
The Right Dose
If you’re someone who consumes fish on a regular basis, you’re probably getting enough omega-3s without supplementation. As the National Institutes of Health puts it, “[More omega-3s] may not be better.” Integrating wild-caught fish into your diet regularly — at least two or three servings per week — should be sufficient for the average person who wants to reap the benefits of fish, so there’s no reason to eat both fish and fish oil supplements regularly.
An exception to this applies to women who are pregnant. Many health care professionals recommend fish oil supplements as part of a prenatal course of nutrition even if the mother-to-be eats fish regularly, as the most up to date research has concluded that supplementation during pregnancy has a positive prenatal and postnatal effect.
In addition, some health care providers are prescribing a very high dose of omega-3s through a fish oil supplement (containing two to four grams of EPA and DHA) to folks who have high triglycerides. These supplements are available by prescription only and are used specifically to lower triglycerides after other approaches are ruled out.
Sustainability in Sourcing
One last point that pertains to the health of the planet rather than directly to your individual health.
According to research gathered by Paul Greenberg in his book The Omega Principle, much of the fish oil in the supplement industry is derived not from sustainably-caught, omega-3-rich fish like wild Alaskan salmon, but rather from a species of Peruvian anchovy rich in this prized nutrient. Considering fish oil supplements are a $1 billion-plus industry whose benefits (or lack thereof) simply do not jive with its outsized market share, these anchovies are being wasted.
Beyond pitiful, this might be troubling for the marine food chain. These anchovies are a keystone species that feed so many species of fish higher up in the food chain, converting nutrients from species lower down the food chain. Need we wax poetic about the sustainability of the Alaskan fishing industry? You can read all about how Alaska has your back when it comes to wild-caught seafood in our blog post. Getting fish oils straight from the source empowers you to play a role in maintaining a healthy marine life cycle for generations to come.
