Dr. Bill Harris

Yeah, I think it's both and. I think definitely the lack of fish in the diet. You know, historically, there were certainly people on the coasts were much more dependent upon the food that comes right out of the sea because we didn't have refrigeration. We couldn't transport things around the country. You had to eat what was there. And there was a lot of fish on the coast.

So I suppose that omega-3 levels, we've been able to measure them 100, 200 years ago. coastal populations would have been higher, but not necessarily in South Dakota where I am. I don't really know that we ever were, certainly as a country, high in omega-3. People have tried to raise concerns that omega-6 fatty acid intake has come up over the time.

So I suppose that omega-3 levels, we've been able to measure them 100, 200 years ago. coastal populations would have been higher, but not necessarily in South Dakota where I am. I don't really know that we ever were, certainly as a country, high in omega-3. People have tried to raise concerns that omega-6 fatty acid intake has come up over the time.

So I suppose that omega-3 levels, we've been able to measure them 100, 200 years ago. coastal populations would have been higher, but not necessarily in South Dakota where I am. I don't really know that we ever were, certainly as a country, high in omega-3. People have tried to raise concerns that omega-6 fatty acid intake has come up over the time.

I don't think that's been a reason why we have low omega-3. And we can talk about omega-6 later if you'd like to. But at this point, again, if you don't eat fish very regularly, you're not going to have a high omega-3 level. It just doesn't happen.

I don't think that's been a reason why we have low omega-3. And we can talk about omega-6 later if you'd like to. But at this point, again, if you don't eat fish very regularly, you're not going to have a high omega-3 level. It just doesn't happen.

I don't think that's been a reason why we have low omega-3. And we can talk about omega-6 later if you'd like to. But at this point, again, if you don't eat fish very regularly, you're not going to have a high omega-3 level. It just doesn't happen.

Yeah, I think one of the first effects of omega-3 that was discovered, and we were part of the discovery of that in the late 1970s, early 80s, was that omega-3s are particularly effective in lowering one of the blood fats called blood triglycerides. So the other one is cholesterol. This is the blood. Omega-3s don't lower cholesterol significantly. Never really have.

Yeah, I think one of the first effects of omega-3 that was discovered, and we were part of the discovery of that in the late 1970s, early 80s, was that omega-3s are particularly effective in lowering one of the blood fats called blood triglycerides. So the other one is cholesterol. This is the blood. Omega-3s don't lower cholesterol significantly. Never really have.

Yeah, I think one of the first effects of omega-3 that was discovered, and we were part of the discovery of that in the late 1970s, early 80s, was that omega-3s are particularly effective in lowering one of the blood fats called blood triglycerides. So the other one is cholesterol. This is the blood. Omega-3s don't lower cholesterol significantly. Never really have.

At least in the good, well-controlled studies, you don't see a lowering of cholesterol. But you will definitely see a lowering of triglycerides. And that's because the omega-3s will block the production of those molecules in the liver so they don't get sent out in the blood. So you reduce the levels. That's a good thing. Then the other things are LDL cholesterol.

At least in the good, well-controlled studies, you don't see a lowering of cholesterol. But you will definitely see a lowering of triglycerides. And that's because the omega-3s will block the production of those molecules in the liver so they don't get sent out in the blood. So you reduce the levels. That's a good thing. Then the other things are LDL cholesterol.

At least in the good, well-controlled studies, you don't see a lowering of cholesterol. But you will definitely see a lowering of triglycerides. And that's because the omega-3s will block the production of those molecules in the liver so they don't get sent out in the blood. So you reduce the levels. That's a good thing. Then the other things are LDL cholesterol.

what some people call bad cholesterol. I hate to use that term because it's the bad particles. It's not bad cholesterol. Cholesterol is cholesterol. It's neutral. LDL particles, which carry a lot of cholesterol, are not affected by fish oils intake. HDL particles, the good particles, their levels can be raised a little bit by fish oil. So actually, lowering triglycerides helps raise the HDL.

what some people call bad cholesterol. I hate to use that term because it's the bad particles. It's not bad cholesterol. Cholesterol is cholesterol. It's neutral. LDL particles, which carry a lot of cholesterol, are not affected by fish oils intake. HDL particles, the good particles, their levels can be raised a little bit by fish oil. So actually, lowering triglycerides helps raise the HDL.

what some people call bad cholesterol. I hate to use that term because it's the bad particles. It's not bad cholesterol. Cholesterol is cholesterol. It's neutral. LDL particles, which carry a lot of cholesterol, are not affected by fish oils intake. HDL particles, the good particles, their levels can be raised a little bit by fish oil. So actually, lowering triglycerides helps raise the HDL.

They're kind of on a seesaw in a way. So you'll definitely see an improvement in the lipid profile, but don't expect to see your cholesterol level go down if you start taking fish oil.

They're kind of on a seesaw in a way. So you'll definitely see an improvement in the lipid profile, but don't expect to see your cholesterol level go down if you start taking fish oil.

They're kind of on a seesaw in a way. So you'll definitely see an improvement in the lipid profile, but don't expect to see your cholesterol level go down if you start taking fish oil.

It's complicated, yeah. I think there's metaphors, there's analogies for it. I think people have often used the fact that fish oil is an oil. Think about oil in your car. and having enough oil in the engine just to lubricate all the cylinders as they go up and down.