The opinion is that in order to maintain the health of the body and the prevention of a number of diseases, it is necessary to take dietary supplements containing omega-3, or drink fish oil. We decided to check if such a position is confirmed by the available scientific data.
Eating bioaduns with omega-3 fatty acids Promot Like themselves Manufacturers Badov, and Medical organizations. AND State, And Private Clinics urge to buy such products for the prevention of a number of diseases. These drugs are supposedly Support health of the cardiovascular system, reducing the level of triglycerides and “bad” cholesterol, as well as the risk of chronic inflammatory reactions, Protect From allergies, fighting with acne, accelerate healing, serve as an important component of treatment of chronic dermatitis and retain collagen in the skin. Approvedthat they improve mood, reduce the risk of depression, anxiety disorders and slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
In most countries of the world, the production and sale of bioactive additives (dietary supplements) does not require licenses, since they are not considered drugs. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the substance indicated on the package is not only present in the product in the declared dosage, but also included in its composition in principle. For example, in 2015 in the USA Spent The study during which the composition of the five most popular herbal additives was checked. In four of them, the key ingredient was absent at all, instead of it they used crushed rice, beans, wheat and ordinary garden or indoor plants. In the same year, specialists from centers for the control and prevention of US diseases (CDC) Countedthat food additives were the cause of about 23,000 calls for emergency medical help. Unfortunately, since then there are no data indicating significant improvements in this area. Therefore, it is not worth relying on the declared composition and dosage when buying such over -the -counter drugs. At the same time, the market presents both dietary supplements with omega-3 and drugs, the content of these substances in which is strictly controlled.
First you need to figure out what omega-3 fatty acids are and how they differ from fish oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fats. Countsthat they are necessary for the normal functioning of the brain, a decrease in inflammatory processes and maintaining the health of the heart. Omega-3 usually means eicopascentaenic acid (EPC) and non-zahexenic acid (DHC), which are mainly contained in fish, seafood and seaweed, as well as alpha-linolenic acid (Alc), which is found mainly in plant sources, such as linen seed and walnuts. The human body is not able to synthesize omega-3 fatty acids on its own, they must be obtained from the outside. Fish oil is a natural product obtained from meat of fish such as salmon, mackerel or sardine. It is rich in two types of omega-3 fatty acids: EPK and DGK.
The main difference between fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids is that fish oil, although it is a source of these acids, Contains and other components, such as vitamins A and D, as well as other types of fats. And Omega-3 is specific molecules that can be obtained not only from fish oil, but also from other sources, such as vegetable oils and algae. Total: Fish-based additives are two of three essential omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a number of additional substances, and omega-3 fatty acids are three important compounds that the human body itself does not know how to synthesize. However, a number of dietary supplements, although they are called "omega-3", Contain Only EPK and DGK, but not Alk.
There are no exact daily consumption standards for EPC and DGK - the US Products and Drug Control (FDA) Recommends Take no more than 5 g of EPK and DGK per day. As for Alk, according to Recommendations The Department of Health and Human Resources (USA), updated in 2023, people need to receive up to 1.6 g of this substance per day, depending on age and gender, adults need a greater volume than children, also the need for it increases during pregnancy and lactation. In order to close the need for omega-3 fatty acids, the majority of the population do not require any nutritional supplements, and a variety of nutrition is enough. For example, 200 g of boiled Atlantic salmon Contain 2.89 g of DHK and 1.37 g of EPC, in general, these acids are rich in all types of fatty fish, including mackerel, herring, sprat, flounder, tuna. ALK is mainly present in plant products: a tablespoon of linseed oil contains as many as 7.26 g of this acid, in 30 g of chia seeds - 5.42 g, in 30 g of walnuts - 2.75 g.
It is believed that omega-3 fatty acids Perform The human body has several key functions necessary to maintain health. Firstly, they are an important component of cell membranes, ensuring their flexibility and permeability, which is critical for the normal functioning of cells, especially in the brain and nervous system. This explains why Omega-3 can play an important role in maintaining cognitive functions and mental health, including reducing the risk of depression and improving memory. Secondly, Omega-3 participate in the anti-inflammatory complex and should reduce chronic inflammatory processes, which can lead to the development of various diseases, such as arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer. It is also assumed that they reduce the level of triglycerides in the blood and prevent the formation of blood clots, helping to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Thirdly, they help maintain the normal rhythm of heart contractions and prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries. In addition, they participate in the development and functioning of vision, presumably protecting children from retinal development, and elderly people from age -related macular degeneration.
However, almost all of these data were obtained during observations of groups of people, a significant part of the diet of which was fish and seafood. If they suffered less from the pathologies of interest to scientists than on average in the population, this difference was explained by the presence of fish in the diet. But during such observations, a number of factors were dropped from accounts: lifestyle, ecology of places of residence, smoking, drinking alcohol, etc.
An attempt to get around these restrictions I undertook In 2018, a group of scientists from the Kokrain International Research Organization. They included 79 randomized controlled tests in their meta -analysis, in which a total of 112,059 volunteers from the countries of North America, Europe, Australia and Asia participated - some of them were healthy, while others had various diseases. Such a sample was supposed to exclude all external factors of influence. By comparing the data, scientists came to a disappointing conclusion: an increase in the consumption of omega-3 acids both by changing the diet, and when taking additives, it affects the risk of cardiovascular diseases extremely slightly. Thus, the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke was 9% of those who took placebo, and 8.8% of those who consumed a lot of fish (that is, DGK and EPK). As for the ALK, only one of the 143 people who will increase its consumption will prevent the development of arrhythmias, and in one of 1000, death from coronary heart disease or other cardiovascular pathologies.
Following Kokrane, a number of authoritative medical organizations undertook to double-check data on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. In 2019 I went out Meta analysis of the Harvard Medical School. It included only 13 studies (against 79 of Kokrane), but the sample of the number of people turned out to be even larger - more than 127,000 people. Scientists have discovered a connection between the daily technique of Omega-3 additives (0.84 g per day) and a decrease in the risk of most outcomes of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack, death from coronary heart disease and death from cardiovascular diseases, but did not see their benefits to prevent a stroke. In 2021, his metaanalysis Published Specialists from the Clinic of Mayo. It included 40 studies with a total of more than 135,000 participants. Scientists concluded that omega-3 fatty acids obtained from dietary supplements still reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. They also noted that the more the daily dose that participants in the research was received, the brighter the protective effect was manifested. The maximum dose studied was as much as 5.5 g of omega-3 per day. To obtain this dose, salmon will have to eat daily, and the portion should be weighing at least 300 g.
Perhaps this difference between the results of meta-analyzes is explained by the fact that in the Kokrane study, specialists did not divide people by how much Omega-3 is contained in addition. Randomized placebo-controlled study of the use of hiccups of ethyl, highly purified ethyl ether EPC, showedthat the daily use of 4 g of compounds reduced the concentration of triglycerides in the blood in the group taking the medicine by 20.5% compared to those who received placebo. Infarcts and strokes in them happened by 26% less often, and total mortality from cardiovascular diseases decreased by 14% compared to the control group. However, in such a dosage, EPC dosages also have side effects, primarily the fibrillation of the atrial and edema of the limbs.
The final answer, whether the supplements with omega-3 can help protection against cardiovascular diseases, while science does not have. However, most likely, the doses contained in the dietary supplement sold without a recipe are not enough for the therapeutic effect. At the same time, a diet, which includes fish and seafood, in any case more balanced, and the use of these products is more useful for the body than their absence in the diet.
There is no exact answer to the question whether the supplements are protected from Omega-3 to some extent from cancer. Some meta-analyzes showed a relationship between higher consumption of omega-3 and a decrease in the risk of certain types of cancer, including cancer dairy glands and Colorectal. Other research, on the contrary, noted that with the high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, the risk of prostate cancer increases. At the same time, one of the largest population studies of the influence of Omega-3 called Vital (25,871 men from 50 years old and women from 55 years old) Not discovered In general, there is no connection between the risk of cancer and the use of these compounds in a dosage of 1 g per day.
Data on the connection of omega-3 and the prevention of a decrease in cognitive functions, including Alzheimer's disease, also ambiguous. Some studies show that omega-3 can protect against degenerative processes in the brain, others do not find any difference. The results of the experiments that set the goal of understanding whether such additives can help people with age -related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, ADHG or cystic fibrosis. Probably, there is no effect of omega-3 fatty acids on the severity of symptoms of depression or the duration of remission during Crohn's disease. At the same time, additives with omega-3, judging by conclusion The authors of Kokrainsky review are still needed during pregnancy, as they contribute to the prevention of allergic diseases in children.
It turns out that although omega-3 fatty acids should be in a person’s diet as part of a variety of nutrition, it is still not known exactly how much they are needed and what negative consequences threaten those who deviate from this norm. Usually organizations healthcare Recommend use One or two portions of fish weekly. Subject to this recommendation, an additive with omega-3 or fish oil in the diet, most likely, will not bring any additional positive effects. But if this norm cannot be observed for various reasons (for example, a woman during pregnancy experiences a persistent aversion to any type of fish), it is most likely to receive these substances from dietary supplements. Fish oil during pregnancy due to the content of vitamin A is rather undesirable, since high doses of this compound (more than 10,000 IU per day obtained from food and bio-sales) They can call Severe congenital malformations of the nervous system in the fetus. National Health Service of Great Britain advises In principle, pregnant women do not take any additives containing vitamin A. A similar situation with children: if the child categorically does not accept products containing omega-3, it will probably be useful for him to receive them from dietary supplements or fish oil. However, a full -fledged diet is always better than dietary supplements with an incomprehensible composition and lack of control over their production.
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