Friday Feb 5, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study reported in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that eating fish, fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids from fish may help lower mortality from cardiovascular disease.

But the review finds that the reduction in risk of death from cardiovascular disease was not observed from α-Linolenic acid (ALA),  another n−3 fatty acid which was found high mostly in plant seeds like chia, flaxseed and lingonberry.

Most trial studies, according to the review, reported that fish oil supplementation significantly reduced risk of death from all causes, myocardial infarction or heart attack, sudden cardiac death or stroke.   This suggests that fish oil helps lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

However, fish oil did not seem to render the same protective effect in patients who had cardiovascular disease, but also use implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Not just taking fish oil as supplements helps lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.  Fish consumption was also associated in most cohort studies with lower rates of all-cause mortality and adverse cardiac prognosis. (David Liu)

Chenchen Wang, William S Harris, Mei Chung, Alice H Lichtenstein, Ethan M Balk, Bruce Kupelnick, Harmon S Jordan, and Joseph Lau, n−3 Fatty acids from fish or fish-oil supplements, but not α-linolenic acid, benefit cardiovascular disease outcomes in primary- and secondary-prevention studies: a systematic review, Am J Clin Nutr July 2006 vol. 84 no. 1 5-17