14 Fish-Free for Life: Why Plant Omega-3s are Better for You and the Environment
GISSI – fish oil and heart disease No long-term protection a significant increase in deaths from heart
The GISSI trial also looked at the effect Over a decade after the DART trial started, attack in men taking fish oil capsules. This
of EPA and DHA omega-3s on people researchers went back to the fish and non- trial had the longest follow-up period of
who had recently survived a heart attack.
fish groups and found, to their surprise, all the studies. It was thought that the
Some were given a daily supplement of
that the death rate was almost identical in mercury in fish oil could build up over time
fish oil capsules while others weren’t.
both groups. So, there was no evidence of and that early protective effects might later
long-term protection even for those with a become harmful. In other words, pollutants
After three-and-a-half years, it showed
heart condition. cancel out the beneficial effects of fish
a 20 per cent reduction in death rates for
omega-3s in the long term!
those on fish oil but, like the DART trial,
Another study looked at whether advising
the number of non-fatal heart attacks
men with angina to eat oily fish or fish oil LYON – plants on trial
was unchanged. The daily one gram
supplements would help their condition. The LYON study investigated whether a
of fish oil taken was the equivalent to
It found an increased death rate of 20 per healthier, Mediterranean-type diet could
cent and 45 per cent respectively! Health reduce the risk of a second heart attack.
eating 100 grams of oily fish a day –
organisations and the government should
exceeding the Food Standards Agency’s
perhaps rethink their promotion of fish and Patients were given either a Mediterranean
‘safe’ levels (see page 8).
fish oils. diet or a low-fat ‘prudent’ Western diet.
The Mediterranean diet was largely
No benefit
The British Medical Journal drew all the plant-based with butter and cream being
These two studies showed that fish
evidence together in a major review replaced with olive oil and rapeseed oil
oils may reduce the risk of death in
which looked at 89 studies on omega-3 margarine. The diet did contain some fish
people who have already had a heart
fats and found no clear evidence that but less red meat and was lower in animal
attack but a review of many more studies
people’s health benefited from them. fat. It had much less cholesterol but was
showed that fish and fish oils do not
Surprising, considering the benefits higher in the plant omega-3 ALA.
reduce the risk for people with no
previously shown for omega-3s. What
history of heart problems. So, those
could it be about fish omega-3s that was This diet increased levels of ALA in the
with healthy lifestyles don’t protect
negating these positive effects? blood by 70 per cent and EPA by 40 per
their heart by eating fish. There is now
cent. Their fish intake was only seven
even doubt that fish oils offer protection A possible explanation was provided by grams a day more than the group on
to people with existing heart disease. one large study in their review that showed the ‘prudent’ Western diet so the higher
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52