$Unique_ID{BRK00373}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{What are the Benefits of Fish Oil?}
$Subject{fish oils circulatory diet diets foods placebo food supplements oil
beneficial blood clots inflammatory response vasoconstriction circulation}
$Volume{G-26}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


What are the Benefits of Fish Oil?


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QUESTION:  While there doesn't seem to be too much publicity about it any
more, I started taking fish oil when it was all the rage during the Winter of
1987.  I am still taking it and beginning to wonder if it is doing me any good
at all.  What are the benefits, if any, for all the money I am now spending?

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ANSWER:  It seems a shame to spend your hard earned money on products in which
your faith is slipping.  Sometimes we feel better because we think we are
doing the right thing, a placebo effect to be sure, but not one to be
discounted.  The reason you have seen little advertising lately is simple.
The companies who were marketing fish oil products were operating under rules
that apply to food supplements, which are not as strict as the rules that
apply to medication or drug products.  When advertisements implied benefits
for patients with cardiovascular disease, that were still unproven
scientifically, the Food and Drug Administration placed a ban on the
advertisements.  It is probable that fish oils will soon be classified as a
drug in the United States, as it now is in Canada and other countries.  And
that is as it should be, for there are some effects of fish oil that are
potentially beneficial in some cases.  It slows the formation of blood clots
and speeds their destruction.  It reduces some aspects of the inflammatory
response and inhibits vasoconstriction, a squeezing down of arteries which
slows the blood circulation.  While there are some effects on the fats in our
blood, it does not seem to affect the relationship between the high and low
density lipoproteins which affect our risk factors for heart attack.  But it
will take more time and investigation to prove that some of the beneficial
effects on atherosclerosis seen in monkeys and pigs apply to us humans.  Until
then, it's pretty hard to know if you are getting your money's worth.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.