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TIL taking fish supplements daily for the past 15 years might not have been a good idea after all
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 22 May 2024
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Who's taking fish oil supplements? People who are concerned for their health or people who are generally healthy? Observational studies like this seem much less useful than a dedicated study with properly allocated controls
Fish oil supplements come in a wide range of quality, and dose. And for the same reason that they are nutritionally beneficial, namely they are chemically labile, they also can go rancid readily.
They were prescribed for me when I was getting eye surgery (for example) because the omega-3 fat acids are supposed to improve healing and reduce dryness.
They are also supposed to improve heart health and lower the chance of a heart attack. Edit: sorry, forgot to add that this article blows that up though.
Vibes of “Mediterranean diet is so healthy! Chug wine, olive oil, and coffee!”
Turns out it’s better healthcare systems, big surprise. Diet ain’t fixing that.
Mediterranean diet has been shown to be a particularly healthy diet by many well designed randomized control trials, not just observational studies.
But better healthcare will inform diet if they're doing healthcare right. Holism.
Some people think they are good for brain development. I've met some parents who gave their young kids a few pills every day hoping it'll help make them smarter.
Cost vs benefits seem to hold up, albeit maybe without the fish oil.