Research
Mixed
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acid supplements do not significantly reduce the risk of cerebrovascular disease in primary or secondary prevention settings.
Do not rely on omega-3 supplements to prevent stroke. Clinical trials show they do not reduce risk, whereas eating fish does. Prioritize whole food sources.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Long chain omega 3 fatty acids measured as circulating biomarkers in observational studies or supplements in primary and secondary prevention trials were not associated with cerebrovascular disease.
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (n=62,040) provides strong experimental evidence for the lack of efficacy.
Source
Association between fish consumption, long chain omega 3 fatty acids, and risk of cerebrovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis
Rajiv Chowdhury et al. · BMJ · 2012
DOI 10.1136/bmj.e6698
Meta-analysis · 38 studiesCited 381×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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