Here's an unpleasant surprise. . . .maybe.

[Guest guest]

(From the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine newsletter:)

 

_*Study Says Fish Oil Supplements Offer No Heart Benefit*_

 

[Ed.--My question is whether this is only true of supplements, or if

it's true of actually eating the oily, cold-water

fish. Herbalists like me get deeply frustrated when scientists

isolate or synthesize what they assume is " the active component " in a

plant that may have 200 or more bioactive components, all of which are

meant to work together, and then say, when their extract doesn't work,

" See? X plant doesn't work for problem Y. " Of

course it doesn't, nitwit; you tore up a healing _/system. /_]

 

In a report presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting

this week,

researchers announced that omega-3 fatty acids, prevalent in fatty fish, have no

heart-

health benefit. Among nearly 4,000 heart attack patients, no difference was seen

between

those who consumed omega-3 supplements and those who took placebo pills.

 

The conclusions are similar to those of a 2006 review of 89 randomized control

trials

and cohort studies, which showed no benefit of omega-3 intake on total

mortality,

cardiovascular events, or cancer.

 

Senges J. Omega-3 fatty acids on top of modern therapy after acute myocardial

infarction

(OMEGA). Report presented at: American College of Cardiology Annual Meeting;

March 30,

2009: Orlando, FL.

 

Hooper L, Thompson RL, Harrison RA, et al. Risks and benefits of omega-3 fats

for mortality,

cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review. BMJ. 2006;332:752-760.

 

For information about nutrition and health, please visit www.pcrm.org/.

Breaking Medical News is a service of the Physicians' Committee for

Responsible Medicine, 5100 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 400,

Washington, DC 20016.

Phone: 202-686-2210

E-mail: pcrm

 

 

 

 

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