Over the last several weeks we’ve received news that Fish Oil Supplements do not appear to help Age-Related Macular Degeneration http://huff.to/17LwRy7 and that they do not help in preventing Heart Disease http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/803798. I do take a Fish Oil Supplement and was quite taken back by this new information. However, I still believe there is a benefit to taking a daily dose of Fish Oil which is recommended to be about 1-3 grams of combined EPA and DHA per day. As you know, Fish Oil is an omega-3 fatty acid which “is important for the production of prostaglandins, a hormone like substance that is needed for such things as the control of smooth muscle contraction. It also helps to lower blood pressure and body temperature as well as reducing inflammation. Other physiological functions that are regulated by prostaglandins are blood clotting, nerve transmission, kidney function and inflammatory and allergic responses”.
Although, not conclusive some other health benefits of Fish Oil-3 are,
• Reduction in blood triglyceride levels
• Improvements in mood and cognitive ability
• Mild anti-depressant effects
• Improved memory
• Improved immune function in infants
• Anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis or neck, back and joint pain
I am disappointed that there is no longer a Heart Disease benefit in taking Fish Oil. However, I still believe the risks of not taking the supplement does not outweigh the benefit of taking the supplement especially since most of us cannot consume the necessary amount of fish daily and the toxic levels of contaminates in fish gives us reason to pause before revising our daily diets.
This a quick snapshot, there is a lot of detailed information on Fish Oil supplement that you can obtain. I would recommend obtaining this information so that you can make an informed decision regarding the benefits for you to take a Fish Oil Supplement.
My Perspective - Kathryn Davis 
Fish oil supplements do not seem to raise my HDL levels. Regular consumption of fatty fish (especially sardines) does raise my HDL levels. Why? I don’t know, and this may work differently for different people (as for most “N-of-1” results).
Hi Allan, I agree that Fish oil supplements helps individuals in different ways but I guess the jury is still out regarding its value.
The most interesting thing about this story is the apparent value of fatty fish. There are other examples (NOT N-of-1) in which a supplement does not work in Phase 3 but the food it is derived from does. But even a food may work for some people and not others.