The Antihypertensive Effects of Fish Oil

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Abstract
Both n–3 and n–6 polyunsaturated fats have been suggested to lower blood pressure, an effect ascribed to altered biosynthesis of eicosanoids. To test these hypotheses, we studied blood pressure and eicosanoid production during supplementation of dietary fat for four weeks in 32 men with mild essential hypertension. Supplementation was preceded and followed by four-week run-in and recovery periods. Groups of eight subjects received either 10 ml or 50 ml of fish oil (3 or 15 g of n–3 fatty acids) daily, 50 ml of safflower oil (39 g of n–6 fatty acids), or 50 ml of a mixture of oils that approximated the types of fat present in the American diet. The biosynthesis of eicosanoids was assessed by the measurement of urinary metabolites.