Washington, D.C., March 14, 2017—In response to a science advisory from the American Heart Association, “Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Fish Oil) Supplementation and the Prevention of Clinical Cardiovascular Disease,” published online yesterday in Circulation, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, issued the following statement:
Statement by Andrea Wong, Ph.D., vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN:
“Science demonstrating the benefit and safety of omega-3 fatty acids for heart health is well-established and this science advisory from the American Heart Association (AHA) reaffirms this fact. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a serious condition, and we support the AHA’s recommendation that people with CHD use omega-3 fatty acids in consultation with a doctor.
Even though this advisory focused on major disease endpoints, we should not discount the significant amount of research that supports the role of omega-3s on other relevant endpoints, such as reducing triglycerides and blood pressure, which potentially help healthy adults prevent cardiovascular disease.
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for overall health and the benefits of this nutrient from food and dietary supplements go beyond cardiovascular health, providing support for perinatal health, inflammation, and cognitive function. Ideally people should strive to eat a diet high in fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines, in order to obtain omega-3 fatty acids, but realistically, as data show, most people are not doing this. If you do not eat fatty fish on a regular basis, supplementing with omega-3s, along with eating a healthy diet and exercising, is a viable option for maintaining a healthy heart and for the other benefits the omega-3 supplements can provide.”
Note to Editor: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 150+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @crn_supplements and @wannabewell and on Facebook.