Mixed
Increased intake of EPA and DHA lowers the risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular mortality, primarily through the modification of risk factors such as triglycerides, blood pressure, and inflammation, as well as through anti-arrhythmic and anti-thrombotic mechanisms.
To support heart health, aim for higher intakes of EPA and DHA, ideally through fatty fish consumption or supplements. This is associated with lower risks of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular mortality. Key benefits include lowering triglycerides, blood pressure, and inflammation. While recent studies have been mixed, the overall body of evidence supports a protective role, especially for secondary prevention in those with existing heart disease.
Much evidence has now accumulated from prospective and case–control studies indicating that higher intake of EPA and DHA is associated with reduced risk of CVD outcomes in Western populations... These analyses support a clear role for EPA and DHA in primary prevention of CHD, and perhaps, more widely, of CVD.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple meta-analyses and prospective studies, though recent RCTs show mixed results.
Source
Very long-chain<i>n</i>-3 fatty acids and human health: fact, fiction and the future
Philip C. Calder · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2017
DOI 10.1017/s0029665117003950
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