Omega-3 fish oil supplements – fishy business

Along with millions of people, I used to take omega-3 fish supplements.

I was swayed by flashy advertising in the late 1990s featuring medical stars like Professor Lord Winston, who convinced me that omega-3 fish oil supplements were essential for my brain and my heart. 

Fast forward to today, and roughly one in five people in the UK and one in 10 Americans still regularly take omega-3 supplements, collectively spending billions in the hope of enhancing their intelligence and longevity.

But a recent investigation by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, the BfR, raises concerns. The authors concluded that taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation in people with preexisting heart disease or those who are at higher risk. 

Photo by Iryna Marienko