UBCO researchers question fish oil effectiveness

New research out of UBC-Okanagan is questioning the effectiveness of fish oil pills.
The pills are often used to increase heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids and treat everything from heart disease and high blood pressure to asthma. But they may not be working, especially if your diet also includes vegetable oils.
UBC-O biology professor Sanjoy Ghosh wants to find out how much fish oil is too much.
“We all know it is good. It is good in a small way, or in a little amount, but we don’t know how much is going to be toxic,” Ghosh said.
Omega-3 fish oil supplements are now added to a wide variety of food products.
“Some people may buy omega-3 in eggs, bread, milk, juice, yogurt and before going to bed will pop a couple of fish oil pills,” Ghosh said.
But Ghosh is mainly concerned about fish oil’s interaction with vegetable oil.
“We just don’t know the combined effects,” Ghosh said.
The research indicates the combination of fish and vegetable oil in modern diets could create some health problems, especially for the heart and digestive systems. And fish oil alone may not have all the benefits that are advertised.
Research Thomas Cameron says the results surprised some of the scientists.
“The biggest thing is that the findings are that fish oil by itself isn’t going to give you the benefits we originally thought they would,” he said.
But researchers are quick to point out that fish oil does have some health benefits.
“We are not saying you can’t have any of this. It’s all about moderation,” said researcher Amy Botta. “It’s all about eating a healthy, balanced diet. If you eat small amounts of this, you’re fine. If you over-consume, that’s when there are problems.”