Fish oil pills are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help keep the heart healthy and prevent some serious heart conditions. They also are used to treat a variety of other conditions, from arthritis to depression and premenstrual syndrome, though not all these uses are backed by solid research evidence, according to MedlinePlus. Fish oil pills can cause side effects, including bleeding, particularly in high doses. Talk to your doctor before taking fish oil pills.
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Heart Disease
The Mayo Clinic cites esearch studies that indicate that people who have a history of heart attacks can reduce their risk of another heart attack and death if they take fish oil pills. In this case, the fish oil pills are taken along with conventional drugs, and they may boost the effectiveness of standard therapy. However, the evidence that fish oil pills prevent deaths from heart disease in healthy people is less solid and more research is needed to be sure there is a benefit, according to MayoClinic.com.
High Blood Pressure
A number of studies suggest that taking fish oil pills may cause small reductions in high blood pressure, according to MayoClinic.com. Fish oil seems to widen blood vessels, which helps to lower blood pressure. However, high doses are needed, which increases the risk of side effects such as bleeding. For this reason, if you have high blood pressure, you should talk to your doctor before taking fish oil pills to treat it.
High Cholesterol
Fish oil pills may help to significantly reduce levels of triglycerides, a kind of fat in the bloodstream that sticks to the walls of your arteries and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to MayoClinic.com. There is also some evidence that fish oil pills may cause small improvements in levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol, which helps protect the heart. However, fish oil pills may also increase the levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease, according to MayoClinic.com. Consult your doctor before using fish oil pills to treat high cholesterol or high triglycerides.
Other Uses
There are a number of conditions for which there is promising early research that may indicate a benefit to using fish oil pills, but too few quality studies have been done to be certain that fish oil works, according to MedlinePlus. These uses include rheumatoid arthritis, where several studies show an improvement in morning stiffness and joint pain when fish oil pills are added to a standard regimen of painkillers, according to MayoClinic.com. Fish oil pills may also prevent cyclosporine toxicity in transplant patients. Other conditions for which fish oil pills may be beneficial include menstrual pain, osteoporosis, dry eye and macular degeneration.
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