What are omega-7 fatty acids? Do I need to take these if I already take fish oil?

Answer:

Omega-7 fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids found in certain fish, like salmon and anchovy, and oils such as olive oil, macadamia oil, and sea buckthorn oil. Palmitoleic acid is one of the most common omega-7s. One small, but placebo-controlled, study using a palmitoleic acid-rich supplement (made from specially-processed anchovy oil) found that it significantly lowered levels of CRP (a measure of inflammation in the body), triglycerides, and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, while increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol.  

Interestingly, if you take a fish or krill oil supplement, you may already be getting significant amounts of omega-7s but this depends on the type of oil, with some containing no omega-7s. These amounts are typically not listed, but we checked omega-7 levels in the supplements we tested.

You can find these amounts, as well as more information about omega-7 fatty acids, and what are claimed to be "omega-10s," in our Fish and Marine Oil Supplements Review >>