Fish Versus Fish Oil Capsules

We know that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils are good for your cardiovascular health, but are supplements as good as the real thing? If you look the vitamin shelf in a grocery or drugstore, you'll see dozens of fish oil capsules. Despite their abundance, no one had really looked at the effect of these supplements in the body until a group of researchers in Kansas City did the following study.

Fish Oil Supplements or Fish?

This question drove researchers to enroll female volunteers into a study. These healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to either eat 2 servings of salmon or albacore tuna a week, or take a 485 mg fish oil supplement (EPA and DHA). They found that the levels of EPA and DHA increased in the blood cells of both groups about equally after 16 weeks. This is good news for people who have trouble eating the two servings of oily fish a week recommended by the American Heart Association.

Can I Skip the Salmon Then?

The study authors don't recommend it. Fish has other benefits beside providing your body with omega-3s. Fish are a great source of protein and other nutrients that were not studied in this research. However, if fish is unavailable, it is good to know that fish oil capsules are good for you, too.

Read about choosing the best fish to learn more about mercury levels and other concerns.

_Source:

William S Harris, James V Pottala, Scott A Sands and Philip G Jones. Comparison of the effects of fish and fish-oil capsules on the n–3 fatty acid content of blood cells and plasma phospholipids. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86, No. 6, 1621-1625, December 2007.