In a 2012 National Health Interview Survey, fish oil supplements were taken by more adults and children than any other natural supplement, apart from vitamins and minerals. However, while omega-3 fatty acids play a role in reducing inflammation — which can help protect your heart — a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that supplements, specifically, did nothing to reduce heart attacks, strokes, or deaths from heart disease in middle-age men and women without any known risk factors for heart disease. This doesn't mean you shouldn't have omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, but it does mean you should focus on getting them from food instead of a capsule, Dr. Pensabene explained.