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Is fish oil fishy?

Is fish oil passé?

Health fads come and go, even in alternative health. Asubstance that received a good deal of acclaim a few years ago is fish oil. Recently,however, we have not heard so much about this product from the deep, as herbs seem to bethe growing topic in health magazines and the popular press. Has fish oil lost its healthluster?

Fish oil first burst onto the cardiovascular scene in the1970s, when epidemiological studies looking at the consumption of fish in relation tocardiovascular disease revealed that Eskimo populations that consume large quantities offish show relatively low evidence of cardiovascular disease. This led to numerous studiesexploring the potential link between fish and cardiovascular health.

Further research on fish and fish oil resulted in a tug ofwar. One study confirms their health benefits; another "proves" that benefitsare exaggerated. A newer study reconfirms their benefits yet again, only to be"second-guessed" by yet another study.

What was this tug of war and who won? Initially, it wasover fish and fish oil’s effect on lipid (fats, such as cholesterol andtriglycerides) levels. Consuming fish oil was said to lower, then raise, then lower, thenraise cholesterol levels. One point that was agreed upon was that fish oil lowerstriglyceride rates.

And as for cholesterol levels? The debate over whetherfish oil reduces or increases LDL cholesterol levels can perhaps best be summed up by W.S.Harris, as cited by Neil Stone, M.D., in a 1997 issue (65:4) of the American Journal ofClinical Nutrition.

Stone notes that in the majority of studies reportingreductions in LDL cholesterol levels, the subjects’ consumption of saturated fat hadalso been lowered when they switched from a control diet to a diet that included fish oil.However, when the consumption of saturated fat intake remained constant, the inclusion offish oil appeared to result in an increase or in no change in LDL cholesterol levels.

This fact-that those who consume a more"standard" Western diet and fish oil may experience an increase in LDLcholesterol levels-has been noted by researchers, and studies have been performed in whichcholesterol-lowering foods were taken along with fish oil. Adler and Holub, writing in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1997;65:2), say, "In conclusion,garlic supplementation significantly decreased both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol,whereas fish oil supplementation significantly decreased triglyceride concentrations andincreased LDL cholesterol concentrations in moderately hypercholesterolemic men. Thecombination of garlic and fish oil prevented a moderate fish oil-induced rise in LDLcholesterol."

There has also been a "back and forth" on howfish and fish oil affect cardiovascular health. Results are beginning to indicate thatconsuming omega-3 fatty acids, as found in fish and fish oil, "may reducevulnerability to a ventricular fibrillation and, thereby, reduce the risk of coronaryheart disease mortality." (Journal of the American Medical Association. 1995.274:17)

The most recent word on the role of fish oil incardiovascular health is overwhelmingly positive. Susan and William Connor, in a review offish oil and its effect on coronary artery disease (American Journal of ClinicalNutrition. 1997. 66:4[S]), state

"The omega-3 fatty acids of fish and fish oil havegreat potential for the prevention and treatment of patients with coronary heart disease.Unlike many of the pharmaceutical agents used in patients with coronary artery diseasethat have just a single mechanism of action, the eicosa-pentaenoic and docosahexaenoicacids of fish oil have multifaceted actions. One of their most important effects is theprevention of arrhyth-mias. ... Especially important is the ability of these omega-3 fattyacids to inhibit ventricular fibrillation and consequent cardiac arrest. ... Thesecomposite effects suggest a prominent therapeutic role for fish oil in the prevention andtreatment of coronary artery
disease. …

Oldies But Goodies

Fish oil is not the only healthy substance that does not get as much press as it used to. Both bee pollen and aloe vera hit the health market years ago and have since settled into a quiet middle age. However, they may be entering a second childhood. Recent articles in Healthy & Natural Journal (Vol 2. No. 3) and Health Naturally magazine (Aug/Sept. 1997) have noted that bee pollen offers protection from many common chemical pollutants and from the side effects of many drugs. Articles on aloe routinely appear and tout its wound-healing and digestive maintenance properties. For information on bee pollen or aloe vera, call 1-800-456-2462, Option 1. 

"In conclusion, omega-3fatty acids from fish and fish oil greatly inhibit the atherosclerotic process andcoronary thrombosis by many actions and should be considered as an important therapeuticmodality in patients with coronary artery disease and to prevent coronary artery diseasein highly susceptible people."

Fish and fish oil have swum beyond lipids and cardiovascular health. Recent studies also indicate that they have beneficial effects on arthritis, breast cancer, Crohn’s disease, and asthma