Fish Oil Reduces Stress Response: Study

A recent finding suggests that fish oil supplements may protect the heart in a stressful situation, according to a news release.

The study was conducted by Jason Carter, a researcher at Michigan Technological University.

The study was conducted on 67 healthy participants who were given either nine grams of fish oil pills or nine grams of olive oil pills as placebo. These pills were given for a period of two months. Before and after the test, the participants were screened for their heart rate, blood pressure and other related metrics.

A mental arithmetic test was taken by the participants after completing the test period. The test involved adding and subtracting numbers in their head. During this addition and subtraction, their stress response was measured.

The researchers noticed that those who consumed fish oil supplements for several weeks were less likely to be stressed while participating in the test when compared to those who were on placebo.

"These results show that fish oil could have a protective effect on cardiovascular function during mental stress, a finding that adds a piece to the puzzle on why taking fish oil helps the heart stay healthy," said Carter, chair of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Michigan Tech.

This data supports the evidence that fish oil, especially omega 3 fatty acid, may have a positive health benefit on neural cardiovascular control in humans. Fish oil is beneficial for cardiovascular health.

The researchers suggest that those who don't take fish oil supplementation should consider having natural food that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology.