Unless a doctor is treating you for heart disease or high triglyceride levels, you should not take fish oil supplements, says Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, Tufts University researcher and chairwoman of the American Heart Association (AHA) nutrition committee.
"Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids are cardio-protective and the basis for the AHA recommendation to consume fatty fish twice weekly," she says. "But the studies do not show that popping a supplement can have the same benefit in healthy individuals." She adds, "There is also a misperception that fish oils can lower cholesterol, but this is not true."
If you don't like fatty fish such as salmon, Lichtenstein recommends eating other kinds of fish such as canned tuna. (Just be sure to avoid any fish that is breaded and fried.)
Foods such as canola oil, soybeans, flax, walnuts and algae are all sources of omega-3s, but they are not a substitute for fatty fish.
Clark will continue to recommend omega-3 fatty acids supplements because "most people don't come near meeting the AHA recommendations for fatty fish twice weekly, and with a heightened fear of mercury levels in all types of fish, people are not coming close to getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diets."
