Research

Hormonal

Dietary intake of fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) significantly suppresses the production of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides and apoprotein B in humans, resulting in lowered plasma triglyceride levels.

To lower high triglycerides, consuming a diet where up to 30% of your calories come from fish oil rich in EPA and DHA (found in cold-water fish or supplements) can significantly reduce the liver's production of triglyceride-carrying particles (VLDL). This effect is driven by suppressing production rather than clearing existing fats, and it works even if your overall free fatty acid levels remain normal.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The marked suppression in VLDL apoprotein B and VLDL triglyceride formation was found not to be due to diminished plasma total free fatty acid or plasma eicosapentaenoic flux... The daily production or flux of VLDL apoprotein B... was substantially less in six subjects studied after 3 wk of fish oil, compared with after safflower oil.
Paul J. Nestel et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1984

Why this rating

Controlled clinical trial with kinetic measurements in humans, though sample size is small (n=7).

Source

Suppression by diets rich in fish oil of very low density lipoprotein production in man.

Paul J. Nestel et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1984

DOI 10.1172/jci111422

crossover · n=7Cited 618×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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