Fish Oil and Human Health

Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids - EPA and DHA. These have been the subject of numerous studies showing they confer several health benefits - particularly cardiovascular (heart and blood circulation) health. A dietary source has been shown to be beneficial for development of babies/infants - especially for the nervous system including brain and eyes. Fish oil as a source of EPA and DHA is anti-inflammatory preventing or ameliorating such conditions as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, Crohn's disease etc.

Most fish oil (around 80%) is used in aquaculture along with fishmeal - especially for carnivorous species. The EPA and DHA are utilised by the fish/crustacea produced and largely deposited in muscle or liver. This effectively returns them to the human food chain. Because some 20 million tonnes are now produced from aquaculture, the nutritional value of fish in the human diet including the fish oil it provides is considered in more detail later - see " Fish for Health and Well-Being - its Role in a Balanced Diet ".

Through fish oil supplements, aquaculture products and some products from land animals fed fishmeal and oil, the EPA and DHA returned to the human food chain is almost half that from wild edible fish.

Further reading

Fish, omega-3 and human health. 2nd edition. William E M Lands AOCS Press, Champaign, Illinois. ISBN 1-893997-81-2
Omega-3 fatty acids, cardiovascular disease - fishing for a natural treatment. Jehangir N Din, D E Newby, A D Flapan. British Medical Journal, vol 328, 3 Jan 2004
Human requirement for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. A P Simpoulos, Poultry Science (2000) vol 79 : 961-970.
Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. A P Simopoulos. American J. Clinical Nutrition 2000; 71 suppl: 560s-9s
Nutritional aspects of fish. Irish Sea Fisheries Board. See www.bim.ie
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have a positive effect on the quality of general movements of healthy term infants. Hylco Bouwstra et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2003:78:313-8
Visual function in breast-fed term infants weaned to formula with or without long-chain polyunsaturates at 4 to 6 months: a randomized clinical trial. Denis R Hoffman et al. J Pediatr 2003; 142:669-77
Visual maturation of term infants fed long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented or control formula for 12 months. Eileen E Birch et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2005:81:871-9