Even scientists are still confused on whether or not fish oil is really beneficial for the health, Washington Post reports. In one of the pages of the National Institutes of Health, an article explicates the benefits that fish oil has to offer, another page writes that fish oil is almost useless.
One study on the website's page praises fish oil supplements for helping the body fight heart disease, that to its rich content of omega-3s. However, another study counters that 'Omega-3s present in fish oil supplements do not actually protect the heart.
Paul Thomas, a scientific consultant in NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements, admits that there are actually confusion on the nutritive benefits of fish oil.
''I can see how you might think that there is some inconsistency, he wrote.
Fish oil supplements manufacturing is a big business, particularly in the United States, drawing $1.2 billion in annual revenue.
Interestingly, extensive researches point out that fish oil "supplements lack efficacy across a range of health outcomes." Nevertheless, the notion that fish oil is a life-saving pill still persists in the mind of consumers and even researchers are reluctant to do away with the long-standing belief.
Stanford University professor John P.A. Ioannidis lamented that situations like this are difficult to refute.
"What we have found is that the original papers continue to be cited well after they have been refuted. These claims do not easily die away," Ionnadis said.
Robert Eckel, the past AHA president, believed that the time is ripe to exert effort to change the views of consumers.
"Almost all studies of fish oil supplements show no benefit. I really feel this remains unproven," Eckel said.
"Their conclusion that fish oil omega-3s are likely effective for heart disease is generous. Whether fish oil can help healthy people prevent or reduce their risks of cardiovascular disease when taken over months and years is still an open scientific question," Thomas said.
