Why fish oil doesn't work for everyone
Variability in the Clinical Effects of the Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids DHA and EPA in Cardiovascular Disease—Possible Causes and Future Considerations
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Fish oil has two main parts—EPA and DHA. DHA is better at lowering bad fats and making good cholesterol bigger and healthier. But only about 1 in 4 people actually see benefits, because their genes make them respond differently.
Surprising Findings
Only 26% of people respond to triglyceride-lowering from fish oil, despite taking it consistently.
Public health messaging has long promoted fish oil as universally beneficial—this study says it only works for a minority, which contradicts decades of blanket recommendations.
Practical Takeaways
Get your omega-3 index tested (via blood spot test) before spending money on fish oil—only take high-dose DHA (≥3g/day) if your index is below 4% or triglycerides are high.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Fish oil has two main parts—EPA and DHA. DHA is better at lowering bad fats and making good cholesterol bigger and healthier. But only about 1 in 4 people actually see benefits, because their genes make them respond differently.
Surprising Findings
Only 26% of people respond to triglyceride-lowering from fish oil, despite taking it consistently.
Public health messaging has long promoted fish oil as universally beneficial—this study says it only works for a minority, which contradicts decades of blanket recommendations.
Practical Takeaways
Get your omega-3 index tested (via blood spot test) before spending money on fish oil—only take high-dose DHA (≥3g/day) if your index is below 4% or triglycerides are high.
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2023
Authors
Charalambos Michaeloudes, Stephanos Christodoulides, P. Christodoulou, Theodora-Christina Kyriakou, Ioannis Patrikios, Anastasis Stephanou
Related Content
Claims (4)
Eating fish or fish oil rich in EPA and DHA omega-3s may help make dangerous fatty buildups in your arteries more stable and less likely to burst, by calming down harmful inflammation and helping your blood vessels relax better.
EPA and DHA are two types of omega-3 fats that work differently in your body—one might calm inflammation, the other might change how your body stores fat—and that’s why some studies show benefits when you take them together, but others don’t, depending on which one you use alone.
Some people’s triglycerides go down when they take omega-3 fish oil, but others don’t see any change—not because they’re not taking it right, but because their genes make them respond differently. So, we might need blood tests or genetic scans to figure out who will actually benefit.
Taking a lot of DHA (a type of omega-3 from fish oil) every day can drop your bad blood fats by about a quarter to a third—if you already have high levels—but EPA (another omega-3) doesn’t work as well, so DHA is the better choice for lowering triglycerides.