Questioning The Superpowers of Omega-3 in Diets by Melinda Beck. The Wall Street Journal. October 1, 2012.
The Journal of the American Medical Association last month published a meta-analysis of 20 clinical trials, finding that omega 3 fatty acids did not prevent strokes, heart attacks, or death from heart disease. If these results are true, they will impact the 21% of Americans who take omega 3 supplements.
However, the American Heart Association will continue to recommend omega 3 by diet and especially for those with heart disease or high triglycerides.
Among the reasons the Association will continue to recommend omega 3 is that the JAMA study used a unusually strict standard of statistical significance. A more traditional measure would show an association of omega 3 and a 9 percent reduction in cardiac deaths.
The article provides a summary of other omega 3 research for Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, ADHD, depression, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and fetal development. This summary provide a picture of the uses and limitations of omega 3. For example, while omega 3 seems to reduce the levels of the protein associated with Alzheimer's, it does not seem to ward off cognitive decline.
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