Health

3 studies of Omega-3 in November 2020 with inconsistent results

Actually these studies somehow confirmed some of the theories that we have had, namely that Omega-3 is an essential oil but may do more harm than good if you have enough. The problem with two Norwegian studies is that they were done on a population that eats a lot of fish which is rich in Omega-3 and so many of the participants already had enough. The third study was done with a more diverse population and eating habits and showed a reduction in heart attacks. That same study showed that Vitamin-D did not significantly reduce the incidence of heart attacks, stroke or cancer. (It is conceivable that if that was studied in Norway the outcome would be different because possibly the optimal dosage for Vitamin-D needs to be high (so in a Norwegian study people would be getting additional Vitamin-D through their normal fish consumption) whereas the optimal dosage for Omega-3 appears to be low. If you are not aware of such factors as fish consumption and what that entails then it can be very difficult to interpret such studies, and even though the third study did look at fish consumption of 1.1/2 servings per week that does not compare to the much higher fish consumption in Norway. A least one of the Norwegian studies used plant oil as a placebo which if rich in Omega-6 might be more beneficial to Norwegians than one would expect from a neutral placebo.

The third study (the other two did not apparently address Vitamin-D) showed a significant reduction in cancer deaths, two years into the study. A 25% reduction. (For people with a normal or low Body Mass Index the reduction was 40% - note that this conclusion is less statically significant) For Black people the reduction was 77%.

It has been suggested that the traditional consumption pattern of 10 times more Omega-6 than Omega-3 in the United States is unhealthy. We share this opinion but that does not mean we should completely cut out Omega-6 in favor of Omega-3. We need both and the body can make its own Omega-9 from them. Otherwise the body digestive and cardiovascular systems become two clean resulting in easy irritation and dangerous inflammation and bleeding, including within the brain. Indeed dementia has replaced heart attacks as the leading cause of death in the United Kingdom. There is a group of indigenous people in the Amazon who are reported to have the cleanest cardiovascular system in the world, the problem is that these people do not live particularly long. Our suggestion if you are noticing more bruising after increasing your Omega-3 intake you may be taking too much. Cod-liver-oil, Rapeseed and Canola oils are good sources of Omega-3, Sunflower Oil is a good source of Omega-6 and Olive Oil is a good source of Omega-9. The trick is to find the right balance.

References:

https://www.msn.com/de-ch/nachrichten/other/fisch%c3%b6l-ist-f%c3%bcr-herz-kreislauf-pr%c3%a4vention-ungeeignet/ar-BB1b4YV0 2 Norwegian studies

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-vitamin-d-supplements-advanced-cancer.html The Third Study

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-11/bawh-vds111720.php The Third Sudy - moreover