Fish oil supplements may increase risk of heart conditions and stroke
This large-scale UK Biobank study, looking at over 400,000 people over 12 years, found that regular use of fish oil supplements might be a risk factor for atrial fibrillation and stroke among the general population. In people with no known cardiovascular disease, regular use of fish oil supplements was linked to a 13 per cent increased risk of atrial fibrillation and a five per cent increased risk of stroke.
In the UK, Nice guidelines don’t recommend taking fish oil supplements to prevent heart and circulatory diseases – supplements are no substitute for a healthy diet.
Chen G, Qian ZM, Zhang J et al. 2024. Regular use of fish oil supplements and course of cardiovascular diseases: prospective cohort study. BMJ Medicine. 3 (1) e000451.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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