Fish oil is rich in a type of fatty acid known as omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil supplements are often used to help lower your risk of developing heart disease and other health problems. Paradoxically, taking fish oil may cause some of your cholesterol levels to rise, but this does not mean that your risk of heart disease has increased.
Types of Cholesterol
When looking at your cholesterol levels, it is important to know that there are multiple different "forms" of cholesterol. When in the blood, cholesterol is complexed with proteins to form lipoproteins. One type of lipoprotein, known as low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol, is considered to be "bad" cholesterol, as it is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Another type of lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, is considered to be "good" cholesterol and can protect you against heart disease, the American Heart Association explains.
Fish Oil Effects
Fish oil contains two different omega-3 fatty acids, known as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, or EPA and DHA, respectively, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. These are polyunsaturated fats that can only be obtained through dietary sources. Omega-3 fatty acids can lower your blood pressure and your triglyceride levels, which can help reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis, a heart attack or a stroke.
Fish Oil and Cholesterol
Although fish oil is often used to prevent heart disease, it can cause an increase in your cholesterol levels. As MayoClinic.com notes, fish oil can cause a slight increase in your HDL cholesterol levels. However, fish oil can also cause your LDL cholesterol measurements to go up as well. Some of this is due to the way in which LDL cholesterol levels are calculated, HealthCentral.com explains. Fish oil lowers your triglyceride levels, and because LDL levels are calculated from looking at your total cholesterol, HDL and triglyceride levels, a decrease in triglycerides can cause your measured LDL levels to rise. This is only an apparent rise, however; the actual rise in LDL cholesterol levels is very small.
Dosing
You can get fish oil by eating fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, herring and tuna, but fish oil supplements are also available. The maximum recommended dose of fish oil is 3 g per day, MayoClinic.com explains. Consuming more than this can make you prone to easy bleeding and bruising because fish oil interferes with your platelets' ability to stick together, impairing blood clotting.
