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Tuberculosis - how effective is fish oil?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Fish oil has been an effective treatment for tuberculosis since 1848, according to research by Professor Sir Malcolm Green.
The study by doctors from Royal Brompton Hospital (USA) involved 1,077 people with tuberculosis. Of these, 542 participants underwent standard treatment with fish oil, and 535 people (control) - standard treatment without fish oil.
The results of the study showed that the disease stabilized in 18% of participants who received fish oil, compared with only 6% of those in the control group. In the control group, 33% of patients progressed to tuberculosis or died, compared with 19% of those who received fish oil.
Some children still take fish oil because it was used primarily to treat and prevent tuberculosis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Professor Green said.
The decline in tuberculosis mortality is generally associated with improved living conditions. According to Green, a balanced diet is also vital. It is possible that the widespread use of fish oil in the past, recommended by doctors, played a significant role.
Fish oil is a rich source of vitamin D, which plays an important role in fighting infections and also in preventing rickets.
The apparent role of vitamin D in the fight against tuberculosis is the basis for light therapy, which was once widely used in sanatoriums before the era of chemotherapy.
Today, most people who develop tuberculosis are vitamin D deficient.
Greene concludes that because tuberculosis remains a common infection that kills millions of people each year worldwide, vitamin D could be an essential addition to standard treatment for this devastating disease.