Are Fish Oil Supplements All They Claim to Be? New Study Has Doubts

Fish oil has been long-touted for benefits such as heart and lung health, which is perhaps why one in five adults in the United States older than 60 currently take the supplement. But is fish oil all it cracked up to be? 

According to a recent study, many of these supplements are lacking clinical trial data to back up their health claims, and may be more marketing than anything else.

The peer-reviewed JAMA study examined 2,819 fish oil supplements to learn the total daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). What it found was "substantial variability" between different brands of supplements, despite the fact that nearly 74 percent made at least one health claim, most commonly pertaining to heart health.

Of those 2,082, 399 (19.2 percent) used U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved language; while the rest made vague, generalized claims such as "promotes heart health."

The findings of the study suggest that additional regulation of the claims made on fish oil supplement labels may be needed to prevent consumer misinformation. "Significant heterogeneity exists in the daily dose of [EPA and DHA] in available supplements, leading to potential variability in safety and efficacy between supplements," the study writes.

For many dietitians, the results of the study are telling us what we already know.

"Fish oil has long been touted for its reported health benefits, but it’s unclear if this hype is warranted," Kim Yawitz, a St. Louis-based registered dietitian told Men's Journal back in July. "We know it’s a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, and there’s evidence that people with higher levels of these fats may have healthier hearts and brains."

However, Yawitz noted that it was unclear whether these benefits come from fish oil supplements, or because people who take them overall tend to be more health-conscious, such as those who follow a Mediterranean diet.

Coincidentally enough, the same day the study was published, an unrelated press release said that the local fish oil market is expected to value as much as $3.62 billion by 2030. That's up from $2.29 billion in 2022, with annual growth rate of 5.89 percent.