Your daily supplements could be changing your behavior, specifically those containing omega-3.
Roughly one in 13 American adults takes omega-3-rich fish oil supplements on a semiregular basis, according to surveys from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Historically, these supplements have been promoted for their purported heart-protecting health benefits, although the jury is still out on their efficacy. However, the omega-3 fatty acids inside these supplements also play a critical role in our brains.
Previous research has suggested that poor nutrition could be a risk factor for aggressive or violent behavior. So could omega-3 supplements help reduce these problematic behaviors?
In a new study from the University of Pennsylvania, psychiatrists Adrian Raine and Lia Brodrick analyzed 29 randomized, controlled trials looking into the effects of omega-3 supplementation on aggressive behaviors across a range of ages, genders, and treatment durations. The study was published in the journal Aggression and Violent Behavior.
Across all study groups—involving a total of 3,918 participants—supplementation was associated with an average 22 percent reduction in aggressive behavior.
"I think the time has come to implement omega-3 supplementation to reduce aggression, irrespective of whether the setting is the community, the clinic, or the criminal justice system," Raine said in a statement.
"Omega-3 is not a magic bullet that is going to completely solve the problem of violence in society. But can it help? Based on these findings, we firmly believe it can, and we should start to act on the new knowledge we have."
However, very few of the studies included in this meta-analysis actually followed up with their participants after supplementation ended. Therefore, we can only make conclusions about short-term changes in aggressive behavior. "The next step will be to evaluate whether omega-3 can reduce aggression in the long-term," the authors wrote.
It is also worth noting that, in a recent study, fish oil supplements were found to be associated with an increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms and strokes in people with no known history of cardiovascular disease—while seemingly decreasing the risk of heart attack and death in those who already had cardiovascular conditions.
More work is needed to confirm the risks and benefits of these supplements and it is always best to speak to your doctor before introducing any new ones to your daily routine.
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