Despite a daily supplement of vitamin E, his blood and urine levels of malondialdehyde (MDA)—a product of the oxidative destruction of PUFA (see Figure 3d)—rose to fifty times the normal level. Although MDA causes birth defects, Sinclair was not worried about having “misshapen offspring” because his sperm had disappeared.31

A randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial likewise showed that six grams per day of fish oil increased lipid peroxides and MDA in healthy men, regardless of whether they were supplemented with 900 IU of vitamin E (see Figure 4).60

None of the trials showed that replacing traditional animal fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils could lower mortality. Instead, the studies suggested that such a substitution increases the risk of cancer after a period of about five years and may increase the risk of heart disease as well.

The only trial lasting more than four years, the DART 2 trial, showed that fish oil capsules actually increase the risk of heart disease and sudden death.

# The benefits of fish oil supplementation have been grossly overstated
# Most of the studies showing fish oil benefits are short-term, lasting less than one year
# The only fish oil study lasting more than four years showed an increase in heart disease and sudden death
# Fish oil is highly unstable and vulnerable to oxidative damage
# There’s no evidence that healthy people benefit from fish oil supplementation
# Taking several grams of fish oil per day may be hazardous to your health