Mr. Garcia and his wife ask about supplements. "My roommate here in the hospital told me I should be taking fish oil pills." What does the research say about omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for this patient?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Eating fish and taking supplements are the most common ways to obtain fish oils.
- Mackerel, tuna, salmon, sturgeon, mullet, bluefish, anchovy, sardines, herring, and trout are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids (~1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids in about 3.5 ounces of fish).
- Fish oil supplements are usually made from mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut, salmon, cod liver, whale blubber, or seal blubber. A small amount of vitamin E is often added to prevent spoilage.
• Researchers believe fish oil may reduce triglycerides by 20-50%.
- Lovanza, a fish oil supplement, has been approved by the FDA to lower triglyceride levels.
- Lovanza is sold in 1-g capsules and contains EPA and 375 mg DHA.
- 1-4 g/day are recommended for treatment of high triglyceride levels.
- Mr. Garcia's triglyceride levels are WNL.
• Fish oil may be beneficial in protecting healthy persons from developing heart disease (6 g/d fish oil for first 6 months, then 3 g/d from then on).
• Persons with heart disease may be able to lower their risk of dying from heart disease by taking fish oil capsules containing 0.3-6 g EPA + 0.6-3.7 g DHA. Mr. Garcia may benefit from this treatment dosage.
• Obtaining large amounts of fish oils from some dietary sources, like shark, king mackerel, and farm-raised salmon, may be unsafe due to contamination with mercury and other industrial and environmental chemicals. Fish oil supplements do not contain these contaminants.