Fish oil changed blood markers after burns, without a clear hospital-stay benefit
A small randomized trial reported improvements in inflammation and insulin sensitivity in people with non-severe burns; hospital stay did not differ significantly.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Fish oil was linked to greater reductions in inflammatory blood markers and improved insulin sensitivity compared with the control oil in this small trial. Hospital stays did not differ significantly. These laboratory changes do not establish faster recovery or better overall outcomes, and the authors caution that the findings cannot be generalized.
The authors explicitly limit generalizability because of the small sample. The abstract reports no confidence intervals for the main comparisons and does not establish whether the blood-marker changes were meaningful to patients.
What researchers found
Blood inflammation markers CRP and ESR
Fish oil versus corn oil after 3 weeks; p < 0.001.
The control also contained DHA
Both groups received DHA. The fish-oil group received EPA, while the control group received corn oil. This shared ingredient matters when interpreting the comparison, which tested particular formulations in patients receiving burn care.
Laboratory and hospital outcomes differed
The trial measured inflammation, blood sugar and insulin-related outcomes before and after supplementation. Hospital stay was a separate, secondary endpoint. Its nonsignificant result leaves uncertainty about whether supplementation affected the time patients spent in hospital.
The original publication
Eicosapentaenoic acid decreases inflammation and improves glucose homeostasis in patients with burns: a randomized clinical trial.
Mousavi MA, Mousavi SN, Shaghaghi A et al.
Sci Rep · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41254027
- Record checked
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