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Avoiding Hidden Safety Risks with Fatty Fish and Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements

August 13, 2007 — Stockton, CA — Health conscious individuals are looking carefully at dietary fish oil intake and omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Research shows eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in some fish can lower triglycerides, prevent heart disease and may help lower the risk of cardiac death.

Despite these benefits, experts are becoming increasingly aware of important safety concerns. Worries about mercury and other contaminants, potential for supplements to trigger allergy symptoms in seafood-allergic patients, and concerns about fish oil increasing cholesterol levels or bleeding risk are prompting people to ask their pharmacists and doctors how they can safely benefit from fatty acids or fish oil supplementation.

The editors at Pharmacist's Letter and Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database have released new recommendations to ensure medical professionals have reliable answers to these questions.

Fatty fish, such as salmon provide high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends most people eat fish at least twice a week to decrease the risk of heart disease. However, some fish can also carry a risk of contaminants such as mercury, PCBs or dioxins. Fortunately, these risks can be minimized by following some common sense dietary guidelines and choosing fish from the appropriate sources. Fish oil supplements can provide another low-risk alternative to supplement dietary fish intake. Most contaminants accumulate in the meat of the fish, rather than the oils used in supplements. Some manufacturers use processes to remove most of these toxins.

The new recommendations from Pharmacist's Letter and Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database tell health professionals how to select safe products that are low in contaminants. For example there is a product called Lovaza. It is a prescription medication that is approved by the FDA and is safe. Pharmacists and physicians may recognize Lovaza by its former name, Omacor. The name is being changed to avoid confusion with a similarly named drug.

"If you're looking for an over-the-counter supplement, USP verified products have undergone rigorous testing and are certified to contain the ingredients listed on the label, without harmful levels of contaminants," recommends Phil Gregory, Editor of the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Consumers can find the USP verified seal on the product label, or by going to www.naturaldatabaseconsumer.com for a complete list of USP verified products containing fish oil.

Keep in mind fish proteins, not fish oils, trigger seafood allergies. However, fish oil capsules can contain small amounts of fish proteins and so should be used with caution by people who have seafood allergies.

The experts at Pharmacist's Letter also point out that although taking high doses of fish oil does decrease platelet activity, this doesn't cause clinically significant bleeding in most cases. Kayla Dotson, Pharm.D., Assistant Editor of Pharmacist's Letter, says "patients taking drugs that can increase bleeding, such as Coumadin (warfarin), aspirin, and others should talk with their pharmacist before taking any large doses of fish oil supplements."

More information on fish oils, such as dietary guidelines for fatty fish intake, fish oil supplement dosage recommendations and what to do if LDL cholesterol increases, is publicly available at www.pharmacistsletter.com/newsroom/fishoil. Pharmacist's Letter editors have also created a patient handout that explains the benefits of omega-3 oils and answers questions about safety in simple language.

About Therapeutic Research

Therapeutic Research is a completely independent research and publishing organization that provides evidence-based information for physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals. Therapeutic Research publishes Prescriber's Letter, Pharmacist's Letter, PL Journal Club, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Ident-A-Drug Reference, and a variety of continuing medical education courses including live courses. Therapeutic Research accepts no advertising and provides objective information for subscribers.

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