When I read the study, it seemed ridiculous. After all, it went against everything we know about the heart benefits of omega-3s.

I mean, the words "omega-3" and "heart-healthy" just go hand in hand, don't they?

Well, a group of Dutch researchers are questioning that, saying that 3 ½ years of omega-3 supplementation did nothing for a group of heart attack survivors.

Now, I knew something was fishy (get it?) as soon as I found out what they were using in the study.

Not fish oil. Not flax seed oil. Not fish, not nuts, nor any other major food source of omega-3s.

Nope. Participants in the study were directed to get their (woefully tiny) daily dose of omega-3s through...wait for it...

Margarine.

That's right. Margarine. Four tablespoons a day on bread for 3 ½ years (Gross!). Sure, it has omega-3s added, but it also packs a plentiful "dose" of trans fat, which is damaging to the heart.

Yet somehow this translates to the mainstream media declaring that omega-3s don't do anything for your heart.

I'm not the only one who thought this was, well, pretty backwards thinking. The Alliance for Natural Health called out the study in an article on their website. They point out that the researchers seem to have ignored the fact that there are several different kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, and that margarine doesn't pack enough DHA -- the heart-healthy kind.

They also explain that it might have been too late for the folks in the study. For most of them, their heart attacks came four years before the start of the study -- possibly missing the window of benefit.

This isn't the first time we've seen a study that seems to debunk the benefits of a natural substance. Usually, though, it's a little harder to get to the truth. I have to say, I'm surprised at how obvious the flaws in this particular study are -- and at how the media still seemed to swallow it hook, line, and sinker.

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