Omega-3 fatty acids -- touted as being heart healthy -- may hinder the healing of acute skin wounds, suggests an Ohio State University study.
It included 30 people with blister-type wounds in the skin. Fifteen of them took fish oil supplements (a source of omega-3s) and 15 people didn't take the supplements. The researchers believed those who took the supplements would have fewer inflammatory proteins in their skin, CBC News reported.
However, it turned out that participants who took the supplements actually had more inflammatory proteins in the skin than those who didn't take the supplements. This suggests that omega-3s in the blood may increase levels of these proteins, the researchers said.
"That finding was hard to explain. These proteins may have other functions that we don't yet fully understand," said lead author Jodi McDaniel, an assistant professor of nursing, CBC News reported.
The study appears in the journal Wound Repair and Regeneration
Just goes to show that there are potential downsides to everything. Fish oil can produce great results, but it certainly is not without side effects and risks. [QUOTE=SnowOwl]My husband's cholesterol is borderline high, higher than is considered acceptable. He can't take statins, has tried and they made him very ill. His GP just said he should start taking Omega-3 capsules, about 3 times the OTC recommendation, she said it can't hurt him and it might help with his cholesterol.
[QUOTE=SnowOwl]Yes, he'll be seeing her next month for follow-up. I did research the O3 when he told me how much she recommended he take, and was concerned, but in every way she's worked with him she's been sensible and we really like her, so he's giving it a go. He checks his blood sugars twice daily. Thanks for the input, we're proceeding cautiously. So far his blood sugars have remained stable, but as to whether taking a large dose of fish oil daily will help lower his cholesterol, well, we'll see. So much of medicine seems counterintuitive.[/QUOTE]