Study Responsible for Fish Oil’s Popularity Is Flawed!

According to a new study being published by the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, there is something fishy going on with fish oil pills.

Known for their high omega-3 fatty acid content, fish oil pills have been selling off the shelves since the 1970s, regarded as a natural cure for everything from heart disease to joint paint and memory problems. While there is no denying that modern diets are lacking in rich omega-3 fatty acids, some of the health claims boasted by fish oil producers are turning belly-up.

Researchers for the Canadian Journal of Cardiology looked back to the original report that established the efficacy of the fish oil pill for heart disease, published in 1970. The premise of the original study was that Inuit populations of Greenland had low instances of heart disease thanks to their diet high in whale blubber and other fatty fish. But it turns out that this study that was grounds for the rise of the fish oil pill was mainly based off “hearsay” and public records without any real factual evidence to prove the incredible heart health of the Inuits.

The new study found that Inuit populations actually have the same rate of heart disease as non-Inuits. In fact, their risk of stroke is much higher than normal and mortality rates are nearly double that of non-Inuits.

It appears that many scientists never questioned the report but trusted it at face value. While adding some extra omega-3s to your diet probably couldn’t hurt, you may want to look into other lifestyle or diet changes that have been proven to prevent heart disease to keep yourself well!

Image source: Oddman47/Wikipedia Commons