Omega-3 Fatty Acids: What New Research is Telling Us

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: What New Research is Telling Us

If you’ve been watching the news lately, you’ve probably heard of the new research on omega-3 fatty acids.

According to a rigorous series of clinical trials in Greece, these polyunsaturated fatty acids may not be doing a thing for your cardiovascular health, as previous studies had suggested.

These findings may come as a shock to many. Omega-3 fatty acids have been hailed as an important component of a healthy diet for many years now – to the point that they’re added to many other common kitchen staples.

So I thought I would try my best to clear up any confusion regarding these new findings, while also reviewing the other potential benefits of omega-3s.

What the New Research is Telling Us…

First, the new studies from Greece only looked at the use of supplements, as opposed to natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids like fish, nuts, and avocados. This is obviously a major limitation since many people get the healthy fats naturally in their diet.

The use of omega-3 fatty acids in particular, rather than natural source supplements on the market, may also be a limitation of this research. There are many natural source supplements available, such as flax seed oil and fish oil supplements. These may contain benefits not available in the more refined and processed omega-3 capsules.

The new research does seem to contradict previous findings which demonstrated a protective effect of omega-3 fatty acids on heart health and the health of your arteries. These recent studies demonstrated no impact on heart attack rates, strokes, or heart-related deaths.