Omega 3 supplements could lower cholesterol, flags US study

22 Dec 2020 --- Omega 3 supplements do not raise cholesterol, according to US researchers. The findings dispel suggestions from a number of previous studies that show “bad cholesterol” could increase upon consumption of fish oil and other omega 3 sources.

Omega 3 fatty acids have a long history of being “heart-healthy” and are well-known for lowering triglycerides’ blood levels but typically not cholesterol.

Previous studies, however, have raised concerns over docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) commonly found in fish oil supplements and the possibility that it might actually raise levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the “bad” cholesterol.

DHA could lower cholesterol
To investigate this connection, researchers extracted data from the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (CCLC), which has collected medical records from 116,000 individuals over 21 years. 

The investigators utilized data from over 9,200 healthy men and women who had had at least two preventive medical examinations at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas, over ten years. 

These examinations routinely included both blood cholesterol testing and the omega 3 index (for example, red blood cell (RBC), EPA and DHA levels). 

Researchers found that omega 3 supplements could lower cholesterol levels.Regarding participants’ fish oil intake, the researchers found that these supplements did not raise LDL-C levels.

Moreover, a one-unit rise in RBC DHA levels was associated with a small but statistically significant decrease in LDL-C. This analysis took into account concurrent changes in background use of cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins. 

This small decrease in LDL-C is not clinically relevant, say the study authors, but this research shows that fish oil supplement use in the general population does not adversely affect LDL-C.

The study was conducted by the Cooper Institute and the Fatty Acid Research Institute (FARI) and published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. 

Dr. William Harris, president of FARI and lead author on this study, says, “These new findings from the CCLS clearly show that people who take fish oil supplements need not worry about adversely affecting their cholesterol levels as some have proposed.”

Dr. Carl Lavie, a cardiologist and medical director at the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention Program, says “This new data from the Cooper Institute adds to the cumulative evidence of the safety and efficacy of omega 3 from dietary sources and supplements, including the combination of EPA and DHA.”

Omega 3 on the rise
The findings come amid a rise in R&D in omega 3 and fish oil supplements. 

Norwegian marine oil manufacturer Epax recently landed nearly US$1 million to investigate the almost 30 lesser-known fatty acids found in omega 3. 

The company hopes it can uncover new applications for eye health, skin health and fertility products. 

Other recent research from Tufts University found differences in the anti-inflammatory properties of DHA and EPA for the first time. 

The results have important implications for supplementation use, and the researchers are calling for further studies. 

Edited  

By Louis Gore-Langton