Campus Chronicle

Issue date: 12/7/09 Section: Pulse

Dr. George

Q:Do fish oil pills really make you smarter?

A:I'm here to tell you that fish oil is an established magic elixir with so many diverse benefits I can hardly believe it. I'm not at all a diet supplement guy either. My opinion is that the foremost effect of most vitamins is to produce expensive urine. Fish oil is different, however.

For decades we have known that populations who have large dietary fish intake, like the Japanese and Eskimos, had very low rates of coronary artery disease. For that reason, fish has emerged over time as the nutritionist's choice for healthy protein. Not being fond of fish, I figured I was S.O.L. for this health factor. Additional studies of this phenomenon have led to the identification of the active constituents, known collectively as omega 3 fatty acids, now contained in commercial fish oil preparations. You can think of it as the "healthy part" of the fish, without the "fishy taste".

With the extensive study of these omega 3 fatty acids, a whole bunch of health effects were found serendipitously. Fish oil has benefits in brain development, for treatment of senile dementia, and treatment of adolescent depression. Its main effects are cardiac however.

Will fish oil make you smarter? Well, while there is evidence that omega 3 fatty acids are important in the early neurodevelopment of fetuses, the effect seems to wane later and there is nothing to suggest that your child's IQ will actually be measurably higher than the other kids in the nursery at birth. At the other end of life, fish oil may have a modest effect in slowing cognitive decline in senile dementia, or Alzheimer's disease.

Don't despair, however, because fish oils greatest benefits are to the cardiovascular system and they are quite notable, indeed. Atherosclerosis, or plaque build up in one's arteries, is responsible for much of the aging process. The reduced blood flow in these arteries can lead to strokes, sudden cardiac death, kidney failure, and much more (the heartache of erectile dysfunction, for one). We know that cholesterol and triglyceride levels are directly related to that risk of atherosclerosis. Fish oil, in rather large doses, can lower a person's triglyceride levels by 30%, which is a very big deal. Because of that, or in addition to that, there is an absolute decrease in sudden cardiac death rate with the use of a fish diet or fish oil supplements. This is at least in part because there is a mildly decreased blood pressure and pulse rate, and a much reduced rate of deadly heart rhythms.

Since most Americans succumb from some kind of cardiovascular disease, this is potentially a REALLY BIG DEAL. Other than the inconvenience of taking (in my case, #10 large gel caps every morning) a lot of pills that are tasteless and have no side effects that I can feel, there is no real down side. The cost is about a nickel a day, truly a low price to pay if these benefits all pan out.

So, for reasons other than the ones you seek, fish oil is a good idea. Most of you are in the "indestructible years", but soon enough you will face your own mortality. When that happens, this stuff matters. In the meantime, you still need to go to classes, read the materials, and study. There are no shortcuts that I know of. Actually, looking at it another way, if you are smart enough to take fish oil, that makes you a little brighter than the rest of the bulbs on the tree.

Send your anonymous questions to pulse@chicagoflame.com.

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