Have you ever wondered if Inuit people have more cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure than most Americans? Wow, that seems like a random question. However random that question may be — I decided to investigate it with a quick Google search. Lame and lazy maybe but effective none the less.
The short answer is MAYBE. Inuit people do suffer with the same kind of ailments we do.
My search about the Inuit question led me down a hole about fish oil. It is all very confusing; one article says fish oils are worthless and the very next one will say they can help with certain things. I am not going to quote any of the articles I read, because citation has not ever been anything I have been comfortable with, but I digress. You can see the results for yourself–I first searched for “do Inuit people have cardiovascular problems and high blood pressure”.
Then I wanted to investigate fish oils and omega fatty acid further. So, I did some more “Googling”. Is “Googling” even a real word? After a quick search to find that out, I got back to my topic of interest. “Googling” is a word, by the way. Google works with keywords and phrases and you can find the desired results based on the words that you use. This means that to get the best results, you want to use general terms that are unbiased. Instead of searching “why is fish oil bad for you” or “fish oil is the super best”. Just search for “fish oil” or “studies about fish oil”.
Firstly, fish oil is the wrong thing to search for. Fish oil is like Uber, it is just a mode of transportation for that good stuff. EPA and DHA are two of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. These are what we want from fish oil.
What I found…
- Triglycerides – May be Good
- Angioplasty – May be Good
- Wasting Syndrome – May be Good
- Menstrual Cramps – May be Good
- Heart Failure – May be Good
- High Blood Pressure – May be Good
- Nephropathy – May be Good
- Psychosis – May be Good
- Rheumatoid Arthritis – May be Good
There are also sources out there that say that it does not work for the above-mentioned issues. Some say eating fish is the best and only way you should be getting fish oil, yet doctors will prescribe high dose supplements as treatments. If you are prescribed a high dose supplement, you should get that prescription. You will not get the necessary dosage from over-the-counter supplements.
I had more questions after my research. How is eating fish the best way to get EPA and DHA when taking a supplement delivers a concentrated dose in a form that is easy for the body to break down? Both methods are essentially the same process, are they not?
They always say studies are inconclusive or more studies are needed. Yet they know it can be prescribed by a doctor for some conditions?
Why is eating fish beneficial and reduces risks for some diseases, but there seems to be no conclusive evidence that taking a supplement does not do the same thing?
My conclusion, in my unmedical experience “Google” educated opinion is omegas may be good for you in ways we do not fully understand. I am not going to eat the amount of fish needed to get what my body needs, so I will just continue taking my supplement.
