Omega 3 fatty acids are known to be beneficial to health in a number of ways, and scientific evidence is accumulating to back up the beliefs of those who have taken it for years (in the form of fish oil). Some scientists believe that, as well as reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death, Omega 3 can improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They can also reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by keeping the heart healthy.

The evidence suggesting that Omega 3 fatty acids prevent heart disease is of several scientific types: epidemiological evidence and archeological evidence support the claim, as well as evidence from animal studies, observation studies, and interventional studies.

Epidemiological evidence

Studying populations to determine frequency and distribution of disease is known as epidemiology. Alaskan natives as well as Eskimos in Greenland and Japanese people in fishing villages have been found by scientists to have low rates of sudden cardiac death and of cardiovascular disease