Taking high doses of fish oil supplements may ‘increase risk of stroke’
There are a number of major risk factors for stroke that you can avoid with a healthy diet, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and being overweight. Indeed, there are a number of foods to incorporate into your diet. Heart UK says: “Oily fish is the best source of omega 3 fatty acids. Aim to eat two servings of fish a week. At least one of them must be fat. One serving is 140g, but you could have two or three smaller servings throughout the week.
The Mayo Clinic states that when taken as recommended, fish oil supplements are generally considered safe.
Nonetheless, he cautions, “Taking high doses of fish oil supplements may increase the risk of bleeding and possibly increase the risk of stroke.”
Indeed, a study published in Circulation indicates that some, but not all, large-scale randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of marine omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes reported increased risks of atrial fibrillation.
It indicates that potential reasons for the disparate results may be dose-related.
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Harvard Health says, “You should always consider eating fish and other seafood as a healthy strategy. If we could absolutely and positively say that the benefits of eating seafood come entirely from omega-3 fatty acids, then eating fish oil pills would be an alternative to eating fish.
“But more than likely you need the full orchestra of fish fats, vitamins, minerals and supporting molecules.”
The Mayo Clinic says fish oil supplements can cause mild side effects, including:
- A fishy aftertaste
- bad breath
- Heartburn, nausea or diarrhea
- Eruption
Researchers say an unhealthy diet can increase your chances of having a stroke because it can cause your blood pressure and cholesterol levels to rise.
The University of Leeds found that those who follow a high fiber diet have a lower risk of having a first stroke.
Government guidelines published in July 2015 state that our dietary fiber intake should increase to 30g per day, as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Since most adults only eat an average of about 18g per day, we need to find ways to increase our intake.
The Stroke Association warns that the catastrophic event happens every five minutes in the UK, but the sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to occur.
The NHS says the main symptoms of stroke include facial changes. Your face may have tilted to one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eyes may have drooped.
Signs can also appear on the arms – “the person may not be able to raise both arms and hold them there due to weakness or numbness in one arm,” the NHS explains.
Their speech may be slurred or slurred, “or the person may not be able to speak at all despite appearing to be awake” and “they may also have trouble understanding what you are saying to them,” the body adds. health.