Ask the Medical Director

S. Ramalingam, MD, is UPMC Health Plan's senior medical director.

Question: I’ve heard a lot of good things about fish oil supplements. Should I take them?

Over the past few years, fish oil has become the star of the supplement stage. Credited with lowering high blood pressure and triglyceride levels and helping prevent heart attacks, fish oil might have a place in your diet. 

Fish oil supplements contain omega-3 fatty acids, as do specific types of fish, including mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon.

Much of the scientific evidence regarding the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids focuses around their use in people who have or are at risk for heart disease. The American Heart Association recognizes that research shows omega-3 fatty acids have the following beneficial effects:

• Decreasing the risk of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), which can lead to sudden cardiac death
  
• Decreasing triglyceride (blood fat) levels
  
• Decreasing growth rate of plaque (atherosclerosis)
  
• Lowering blood pressure slightly

But before you use any dietary supplement, you should read about it and then talk to your doctor.