Too much fish oil can make your blood cells more fragile over time
n-3 fatty acids induce oxidative modifications in human erythrocytes depending on dose and duration of dietary supplementation.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Taking high doses of fish oil for a short time helps protect your blood cells from damage, but taking it for a long time makes them more easily damaged.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 533 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Taking high doses of fish oil for a short time helps protect your blood cells from damage, but taking it for a long time makes them more easily damaged.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 533 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Palozza P, Sgarlata E, Luberto C, Piccioni E, Anti M, Marra G, Armelao F, Franceschelli P, Bartoli GM
Related Content
Claims (6)
Incorporation of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids from seed oils into cell membranes increases lipid peroxidation, triggering chronic low-grade systemic inflammation.
People who take the highest dose of fish oil for six months end up with more oxidized fat in their red blood cells than those taking a low dose — even if they started with the same level of protection.
After one month of taking high-dose fish oil, your red blood cells temporarily get more of a protective antioxidant called alpha-tocopherol, which helps them resist damage from oxidation.
After six months of high-dose fish oil, the protective antioxidant in red blood cells drops back down, and the cells become more easily damaged by oxidation — and the higher the dose, the worse it gets.
Taking fish oil supplements with EPA and DHA over time makes the membranes of your red blood cells more filled with these types of fats, making them more flexible but also more prone to damage from oxidation.