TAKING cod liver oil every day could raise your risk of heart disease, a study suggests. Millions take the smelly supplements to stay limber as they claim to boost joint, brain and eye health. 1 Millions of Brits take fish oil supplements, the study suggests (stock image) Credit: Getty But data suggests healthy people who take them have a stroke risk five per cent higher than average and a 14 per cent greater chance of an irregular heartbeat.
They did bring benefits for patients who already had heart disease, appearing to lower their risk of a heart attack or early death. Researchers from Sun Yat-Sen University in China studied 416,000 British people in their 40s, 50s and 60s. One in three took fish oil supplements each day, with use more common in women and older people.
Supplements have mixed benefits and risks Writing in the journal BMJ Medicine, study author Dr Hualiang Lin said: “Regular use of fish oil supplements might have different roles in the progression of heart disease. “In people with no known cardiovascular disease , regular use of supplements was associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation and stroke . “In people with known cardiovascular disease, beneficial effects were seen.
” People take the pills to boost levels of omega 3 fatty acids , known as healthy fats that are not found in many foods other than fish and nuts. Most read in Health STREET HORROR Woman, 78, dead after armed police swarm Edinburgh street as man arrested KEEPING UP Mot.
