Eating Fabulous

Fish or Fish Oil Supplement- Which is Healthier?

by ruth on January 5th, 2008

Fish or fish oil supplements — which is a better source of omega-3 fatty acids? According to a recent study, it doesn’t matter: Fish is just as effective as pills as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

At the end of the study period, Harris and co-workers report that the 11 women in the fish group showed a 4.0 per increase in the levels of EPA and DHA in the red blood cells, while their counterparts receiving the fish oil supplements showed a 4.3 per cent increase.

They also note that levels of the omega-3 fatty acids stabilised in plasma phospholipids after four weeks, but levels in the red blood cells continued to increase throughout the 16-week period.

“These findings suggest that the consumption of equal amounts of EPA and DHA from oily fish on a weekly basis or from fish-oil capsules on a daily basis is equally effective at enriching blood lipids with omega-3 fatty acids,” concluded the researchers.

These data should be make the manufacturers of fish oil capsules very happy. Some people, particularly pregnant women who need adequate omega-3 fatty acids in their diet but are afraid of the risks of consuming fish that might be exposed to pollutants such as PCBs and heavy metals, might shift to taking fish oil supplements instead.

Personally, I think I’ll stay with fish. No pill can substitute for the flavor and epicurean delight one can derive from eating “real” food. You just have to know which fish is safe to eat.

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POSTED IN: ~Dietary Supplements, ~Fish and Seafoods, ~Mental Health