For most people, regular fish oil supplements do not affect bleeding risk. One meta-analysis of 11 randomized studies with over 80,000 patients concluded (with low certainty) that fish oil does not increase bleeding risk,[1] and another meta-analysis, which stratified by type of fish oil supplement, reported similar findings. Interestingly, the latter meta-analysis noted that EPA-only supplements did increase bleeding risk compared to control, but the absolute increase in risk was very small: about 0.5%, suggesting that for every 200 people taking an EPA-only supplement, one might experience bleeding.[2]
Can fish oil increase the risk of bleeding?
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•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
Regular fish oil supplements generally do not increase bleeding risk, according to a meta-analysis that included over 80,000 participants. However, EPA-only supplements may slightly increase the risk, with an estimated 0.5% increase, meaning that one in 200 users might experience bleeding.