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Coventina

(29,858 posts)
Tue Apr 28, 2026, 12:30 PM Tuesday

Fish oil may be hurting your brain, new study finds

A new study from the Medical University of South Carolina is raising fresh concerns about fish oil supplements, especially for people who experience repeated mild traumatic brain injuries. Writing in the journal Cell Reports, researchers report that these widely used supplements, often promoted as protective for the brain, could actually interfere with healing after injury.

The research was led by neuroscientist Onder Albayram, Ph.D., an associate professor at MUSC and a member of the National Trauma Society Committee. His team focused on the biological processes involved in repairing blood vessels in the brain after injury.

Interest in omega-3 fatty acids, the key components of fish oil, has been growing rapidly. According to Fortune Business Insights, these supplements are now appearing not only in capsules but also in drinks, dairy alternatives, and snack products.

That surge in popularity does not surprise Albayram. "Fish oil supplements are everywhere, and people take them for a range of reasons, often without a clear understanding of their long-term effects," he said.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260426012303.htm

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Gross! Fish oil in drinks?

4 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fish oil may be hurting your brain, new study finds (Original Post) Coventina Tuesday OP
I take flaxseed oil instead, NameAlreadyTaken Tuesday #1
Hemp seeds are also full of good fatty acids AZJonnie Tuesday #3
This study focused on a small subset LtTx Tuesday #2
Yeah, they don't CAUSE brain injury so the headline is slightly misleading (nt) AZJonnie Tuesday #4

NameAlreadyTaken

(2,317 posts)
1. I take flaxseed oil instead,
Tue Apr 28, 2026, 12:33 PM
Tuesday

on the advice of my doctor, for the Omega-3 fatty acids. I don't like the taste or smell of fish oil capsules so I take flaxseed oil capsules.

AZJonnie

(3,891 posts)
3. Hemp seeds are also full of good fatty acids
Tue Apr 28, 2026, 12:41 PM
Tuesday

And you can throw into or on to all kinds of foods. They are quite neutral-tasting too. Like you could sprinkle them on ice cream or a steak and hardly notice in either case. And they have all kinds of nutritional value, bit of a super-food really.

LtTx

(86 posts)
2. This study focused on a small subset
Tue Apr 28, 2026, 12:39 PM
Tuesday

Brains that have suffered an injury.

Nice to see another Daily Science reader!! I read it every morning!

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