Late last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed to allow the manufacturers of dietary supplements containing some omega-3 fatty acids to make the following statement on their labeling:

“The scientific evidence about whether omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is suggestive, but not conclusive. Studies in the general population have looked at diets containing fish and it is not known whether diets or omega-3 fatty acids in fish may have a possible effect on a reduced risk of CHD. It is not known what effect omega-3 fatty acids may or may not have on risk of CHD in the general population.”

While the intake of omega-3 fatty acids from fish has been widely reported to help prevent heart disease, the evidence is not as convincing for the compound in a dietary supplement. We'll look at this subject in greater detail next month.

Meanwhile, be cautious of products that make stronger claims than this one. And do not take more than 2 grams of EPA and DHA (those are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, also sometimes called “fish oil”) omega-3 fatty acids a day.