Do fish oil capsules lower ldl?

May increase LDL: Prescription fish oil (lovaza) is indicated for treatment of high triglyceride, but in doing so it actually raises the LDL a bit. Taking it as a supplement (smaller dose--1/4 of dose) may not do much at all in term of changing the lipid profile. So, if u need to lower ldl, fish oil is not the way to go. Consult doc. Good luck.

Only EPA lowers LDL: Fish oils contain two active omega-3 fatty acids, dha and epa. Most fish oil products are a blend of these two fatty acids. Dha + epa consistently increases LDL cholesterol in a dose dependent manner (the higher the dose, the greater the increase). Recent studies show that purified epa (without dha) decreases LDL cholesterol with significant reduction seen at a 4 gram per day dosage.

No.: Fish oils really only lower triglyceride levels, and only if taken about 30 minutes before a meal. They block the fat receptors in the intestine and therefore you don't absorb the "bad" fats. Don't do much to the ldl's except make the particle size a little smaller.

YES - but only EPA: It is true that dha+epa, the most common omega-3 products available, lower triglycerides, increase LDL particle size and cibsistently increase measures of LDL quantity. However, data from the recently published marine and anchor trials show that 4 grams of 96% pure epa produce small, but significant, reductions in both LDL cholesterol (up to 6%) and LDL particle number (up to 15%).

No: Krill oil and fish oil are the new snake oil, both are high in omega 3 fatty acids which are extremely fragile. Omega 3 fish oils reduce triglycerides by impairing the liver's ablility to make them. However the oxidative stress caused by fish oil actually raises LDL cholesterol. Some day we may use the phrase "this is just more fish /krill oil" or "here comes the fish/krill oil salesman".