Fish Oil and Inflammation
Habitual Dietary Intake of n-3 and n-6 Fatty Acids in Relation to Inflammatory Markers Among US Men and Women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High n-6 intake didn’t block the anti-inflammatory effects of n-3s—in fact, it made them stronger.
Many experts claim that high omega-6 intake cancels out the benefits of omega-3s. This study shows the opposite: EPA/DHA were *more* effective at reducing inflammation markers in people with high n-6 intake.
Practical Takeaways
If you eat a lot of vegetable oils, increasing your intake of fatty fish (like salmon or mackerel) may help reduce inflammation.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
High n-6 intake didn’t block the anti-inflammatory effects of n-3s—in fact, it made them stronger.
Many experts claim that high omega-6 intake cancels out the benefits of omega-3s. This study shows the opposite: EPA/DHA were *more* effective at reducing inflammation markers in people with high n-6 intake.
Practical Takeaways
If you eat a lot of vegetable oils, increasing your intake of fatty fish (like salmon or mackerel) may help reduce inflammation.
Publication
Journal
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association
Year
2003
Authors
T. Pischon, S. Hankinson, G. Hotamisligil, N. Rifai, W. Willett, E. Rimm
Related Content
Claims (4)
If healthy people in the U.S. regularly eat more foods rich in omega-3s like EPA and DHA—think fatty fish—their bodies tend to show lower levels of markers linked to chronic inflammation.
If you're a healthy American adult eating a lot of certain vegetable oil fats (n-6), getting more fish oil fats (EPA and DHA) seems to help reduce signs of inflammation in your body. But if you're not eating much of those vegetable oil fats, the fish oil doesn't make much difference.
Eating certain types of healthy fats—like those found in nuts and seeds—doesn’t seem to change levels of inflammation in the blood of healthy American adults.
Eating too much omega-6 fat—especially from vegetable oils and meat from grain-fed animals—might increase body-wide inflammation, which could lead to long-term health problems like heart disease or diabetes.