(Reuters Health) – Eating fatty acids like those found in fish and certain plants may not prevent heart disease as well as previously believed, a new study concludes.
In 2004 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said there is "supportive but not conclusive" evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce a person's risk of heart disease. The agency recommended that people consume no more than three grams a day of the substance, with no more than two grams of that coming from dietary supplements.
In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, the current Danish study looked at the effects of linoleic acid, and a related substance, alpha-linolenic acid — both of which come from plants — on the risk of heart disease in 3,277 men and women living in the Copenhagen metropolitan area.
None of the subjects had been diagnosed with heart problems when they entered the study, which gathered information about their eating habits, exercise and other lifestyle patterns.
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