Combining 21 trials evaluating lipid outcomes , fish oil consumption result ed in a summary net change in triglycerides of -27 ( 95 % CI -33 , -20)mg/dL , in HDL cholesterol of + 1.6 ( 95 % CI + 0.8 , + 2.3)mg/dL , and in LDL cholesterol of + 6 ( 95 % CI + 3 , + 8)mg/dL. There was no effect of fish oil on total cholesterol .
Across studies , higher fish oil dose and higher baseline levels were associated with greater reductions in serum triglycerides .
The evidence supports a dose-dependent beneficial effect of fish oil on serum triglycerides , particularly among people with more elevated levels .
Fish oil consumption also modestly improves HDL cholesterol , increases LDL cholesterol levels , but does not appear to adversely affect glucose homeostasis .
The evidence regarding the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on hs-CRP is inconclusive , as are data on ALA
Greater fish oil consumption has been associated with reduced CVD risk , although the mechanisms are unclear .
Plant- source oil omega-3 fatty acids ( ALA ) have also been studied regarding their cardiovascular effect .
Effects of fish oil on VLDL triglyceride kinetics in humans.
Dietary n-3 fatty acids ( FAs ) found in fish oils markedly lower plasma triglyceride ( TG ) and very low density lipoprotein ( VLDL ) levels in both normal and hypertriglyceridemic subjects . The present study examined the mechanism of this effect . Ten subjects with widely different plasma triglyceride levels ( 82 to 1002 mg/dl ) were fed metabolically controlled diets containing 20 % fat . The control diet contained a blend of cocoa butter and peanut oil ( P/S = 0.8 ) . The test diet contained fish oil ( P/S = 1.1 ) and provided 10 - 17 g of n-3 FAs per day ( depending on calorie intake ) . After 3 to 5 weeks of each diet , the kinetics of VLDL-TG were determined over a 48-h period after the injection of [3H]glycerol . The fish oil diet reduced the VLDL-TG synthetic rate from 23 + /- 14.3 ( mean + /- SD ) to 12.6 + /- 7.5 mg/h per kg ideal weight ( P less than 0.005 ) and increased the fractional catabolic rate ( FCR ) for VLDL-TG from 0.23 + /- 0.12 to 0.38 + /- 0.16 h -1 ( P less than 0.005 ) . At the same time , there was a 66 % reduction of plasma triglyceride levels , result ing largely from a 78 % decrease in VLDL-TG levels ( 398 + /- 317 to 87 + /- 77 mg/dl ; P less than 0.005 ) . There was a strong correlation ( r = 0.83 ; P less than 0.01 ) between the change in synthetic rates and pool sizes , but there was no correlation ( r = 0.24 ; NS ) between changes in FCRs and pool sizes . The VLDL cholesterol : triglyceride ratio increased during the n-3 diet suggesting that smaller VLDL particles were present . These particles would be expected to leave the VLDL fraction more rapidly than larger particles producing a higher FCR . We conclude that the hypotriglyceridemic effect of fish oil appears to be caused primarily by an inhibition of very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride synthesis , but an additional , independent effect upon VLDL catabolism can not be ruled out
Combining 21 trials evaluating lipid outcomes , fish oil consumption result ed in a summary net change in triglycerides of -27 ( 95 % CI -33 , -20)mg/dL , in HDL cholesterol of + 1.6 ( 95 % CI + 0.8 , + 2.3)mg/dL , and in LDL cholesterol of + 6 ( 95 % CI + 3 , + 8)mg/dL. There was no effect of fish oil on total cholesterol .
Across studies , higher fish oil dose and higher baseline levels were associated with greater reductions in serum triglycerides .
The evidence supports a dose-dependent beneficial effect of fish oil on serum triglycerides , particularly among people with more elevated levels .
Fish oil consumption also modestly improves HDL cholesterol , increases LDL cholesterol levels , but does not appear to adversely affect glucose homeostasis .
The evidence regarding the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on hs-CRP is inconclusive , as are data on ALA
Greater fish oil consumption has been associated with reduced CVD risk , although the mechanisms are unclear .
Plant- source oil omega-3 fatty acids ( ALA ) have also been studied regarding their cardiovascular effect .