Fish oil supplements reduce cravings for nicotine and even the number of cigarettes that people smoke a day, according to a new study conducted at the University of Haifa.

“The substances and medications used currently to help people reduce and quit smoking are not very effective and cause adverse effects that are not easy to cope with. The findings of this study indicated that omega-3, an inexpensive and easily available dietary supplement with almost no side effects, reduces smoking significantly,” said lead research Sharon Rabinovitz Shenkar, M.D., head of the addictions program at the University of Haifa.

Study participants who were given omega-3 supplements reduced their cigarettes by an average of two a day (an 11 percent decrease on average).

They also had a significant decrease in nicotine craving. In the meantime, participants who received a placebo did not show any significant changes in their behavior.