When it comes to something as life and death important as to what to feed ourselves and our families,

we should rely not on anecdotes, but on facts.

Welcome to the Nutrition Facts podcast.

I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger.

Today we explore the findings of five massive new trials of the effectiveness of fish oil supplements.

Thanks in part to the American Heart Association's recommendation that individuals

at high risk for heart disease ask their physicians about omega-3 fish oil supplementation,

fish oil pills have grown into a multi-billion dollar industry.

We now consume more than 100,000 tons of fish oil every year.

But what does the science say?

Are the purported benefits of fish oil supplementation for the prevention and treatment

of heart disease promising?

Or just a fish tail.

The scientific sea change occurred a little over a decade ago.

When a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American

Medical Association looked at all the best randomized clinical trials evaluating the effects

of omega-3 fats on lifespan, cardiac death, sudden death, heart attack, and stroke,

these included studies not only on fish oil supplements, but also studies on the effects

of advising people to eat more oily fish.

Overall, the researchers found no protective benefit for overall mortality, heart disease

mortality, sudden cardiac death, heart attack, or stroke.

What about for someone who had already had a heart attack and trying to prevent another one?

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