The Study
A combination of omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid and B-group vitamins is superior at lowering homocysteine than omega-3 alone: A meta-analysis.
This study looked at lots of smaller experiments where people took different vitamins and measured their blood. It found that taking omega-3 with B-vitamins lowered a certain chemical in the blood more than omega-3 alone. But it didn’t test if this actually made people healthier — just that the chemical went down.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether taking fish oil (omega-3) or fish oil plus B-vitamins and folic acid helps lower a substance in blood called homocysteine, which is linked to heart and brain problems.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 548 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1While the numbers go down, we don't know if this actually makes people healthier or prevents heart attacks or dementia.
- 2Fish oil alone lowered homocysteine by about 1.1 points.
- 3Adding B-vitamins and folic acid lowered it even more — by 1.4 points total.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrition research
Year
2016
Authors
S. Dawson, S. Bowe, T. Crowe
Related Content
Claims (6)
To keep your brain working its best, you need enough omega-3s (found in fish and nuts) and low levels of a substance called homocysteine, which means you're getting enough B vitamins from your diet.
Taking omega-3s along with folic acid and B vitamins lowers a substance in your blood called homocysteine more than just omega-3s alone—like getting a little extra boost from the combo.
Taking omega-3s and B-vitamins can lower a substance in your blood called homocysteine, but how much it goes down depends on how much you take, how long you take it, and how healthy you were to begin with.
Taking omega-3s and B-vitamins can lower a substance in your blood called homocysteine, but that doesn't mean you're any less likely to have a heart problem or brain disease — the research doesn't show a connection.
Taking omega-3 supplements can lower a substance in your blood called homocysteine, which is linked to heart disease. If you also take folic acid and B6/B12 vitamins along with omega-3s, the drop in homocysteine is even bigger — so the combo works better than omega-3s alone.
Taking omega-3 supplements by themselves may slightly lower a substance in your blood called homocysteine, which some doctors think might be linked to heart health — and this effect happens even if you're not taking folic acid or B vitamins too.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.