Wonder Ingredient Not The Good Oil Once Touted

[mrmoshe]

THE supposed wonder ingredient fish oil, the much-touted omega 3 fats, may not be so wondrous after all.

Despite long-standing recommendations that Australians eat more fish, largely for the omega 3 fat it contains, a review of medical evidence has failed to show that people with a high omega3 intake live any longer.

Previously, experts had thought consumption of either the "long-chain" omega 3 fatty acids, found mainly in oily fish, or "short-chain" omega 3 found in some plant oils gave protection against heart disease.

But a review of almost 90 studies, published online yesterday by the British Medical Journal, pooled the results and found no proof that eating omega 3 cut deaths overall, or reduce the incidence of heart attacks, strokes or cancer.

Of the 89 individual studies in the review, 48 were the type of trials considered to be the most reliable.

However, even in these the margin of error was wide. Taken together they appeared to show a 2 per cent reduction in the risk of early death, but this could mean a 30 per cent reduction in mortality risk, a 36 per cent increase, or anything in between.

"It is not clear whether long-chain or short-chain omega 3 fats (together or separately) reduce or increase total mortality, cardiovascular events, cancer or strokes," the authors said.

However, they added the findings "do not rule out an important effect of omega 3 fats", because even after combining all the individual trials, there were still too few people who had suffered heart attacks or other adverse outcomes to be sure the variation was not due to chance.

Dr Tim Crowe, lecturer in nutrition at Victoria's Deakin University, said the findings were "a surprise" but the recommendation to eat fish regularly should stand. "The study has shown no harm (from omega 3), and there's emerging evidence that fish oil may be beneficial particularly in colon and breast cancer, and there's a link with omega 3 and depression as well," he said.

"People shouldn't be changing conservative recommendations to be eating fish at one to two meals per week."

The official Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults, endorsed by the National Health and Medical Research Council in 2003, said omega 3 fats had "been shown to provide specific health benefits, notably in relation to brain development and function and cardiovascular health".

[OWZAT]

G`day Fellas ,

Forget about Omega 3 , vitamin c, and all that Stuff!.

My Mother drank A bottle of Johnnie Walker a Day , every day , till she died at 84 , as Did Her Mother and father , all lived to be 80-90~s.

Me , I take a Capfull of Apple cider Vinegar In a schooner Glass of water 3 Times Daily .

Mick