Wave goodbye to high cholesterol? Landmark study of 500,000 people finds 13p supplement lowers 'bad' levels
Cheap supplement lands a blow to high to cholesterol in landmark study
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Dietary supplements are long on hype and short on results, but a seismic new study has bucked this trend with aplomb. Researchers from the University of Georgia have found consistent evidence that omega-3 supplements lower high cholesterol levels.
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The stunning results, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, were observed in people with a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol.
Using genetic data from more than 441,000 participants, the researchers calculated a score to predict the genetic likelihood of high levels of total cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol (which is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol), triglycerides and HDL cholesterol (or “good” cholesterol).
Participants who reported taking fish oil supplements have lower blood lipid levels than predicted
Getty Images“Recent advances in genetic studies have allowed us to predict someone’s genetic risk of high cholesterol,” said Yitang Sun, a recent doctoral graduate from UGA’s Department of Genetics.
“But the current prediction has room for improvement because it does not consider individual differences in lifestyles, such as taking fish oil supplements.”
The researchers found that participants who reported taking fish oil supplements have lower blood lipid levels than predicted, especially for total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
“Our study shows that considering lifestyles will improve genetic prediction,” said Kaixiong Ye, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor of genetics in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
“Our findings also support that fish oil supplements may counteract the genetic predisposition to high cholesterol.”
For people whose families have a history of high cholesterol, the study’s findings offer another possibility to help safeguard their health.
“Taking fish oil is associated with a shift toward a healthy lipid profile,” Ye said.
The benefits did not stop there.
The researchers also analysed the effects of fish oil on HDL cholesterol and found the supplements are beneficial in raising HDL cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol.
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The supplements also boosted “good” cholesterol levels
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It's unclear the exact mechanisms involved. Previous research has found an association between increases in blood DHA - a specific type of omega-3 - and a reduction in LDL levels.
Research is also inconsistent on the impact of supplementing with omega-3 on high cholesterol in people who do not have a genetic predisposition.
Research from 2017 states that eating fresh fish is better at reducing cholesterol than fish oil supplements.
The NHS recommends eating more oily fish and cutting down on fatty foods to reduce high cholesterol.