The Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

While it may seem like omega-3 fatty acids have been trending forever, these fats were actually a nutritional underdog for decades. Though they were identified in the 1920s, it wasn’t until the 1970s that researchers discovered that the low rates of heart disease in Greenland Eskimos was likely due to their high-fish (and therefore high-omega-3) diet. Since that time, omega-3 fatty acids have gotten well-deserved credit as some of the healthiest fats on the planet. 

Found in fatty fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, and other foods, omega-3s are now known for boosting heart health, cultivating brain development in babies in utero, taming inflammation, and more. If you’ve ever wondered if these trendy fats live up to the hype, stick with us. We’re diving into the science of what omega-3s may do for your health.

Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids 

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats, meaning that, at the atomic level, they have two or more double bonds (“poly”) but aren’t fully saturated with hydrogen (“unsaturated”). These fats come in three different types: ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

ALA is considered an essential fatty acid, meaning the body doesn’t make it on its own and has to get it from food. It’s abundant in foods like walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, and soybean or canola oil. 

EPA and DHA, on the other hand, are technically not essential fats because the body can make some of them from ALA. Still, our bodies aren’t great at this process, so it’s best to get these fats from foods as well.

You can boost your intake with fatty fish like salmon, herring, mackerel, and sardines. Grass-fed meat and dairy may also contain small amounts of these forms of omega-3. 

It’s certainly possible to get enough omega-3s from diet alone, but according to the American Heart Association (AHA), most of us aren’t doing so. If your diet tends to be low in walnuts, flaxseed, fatty fish, and other omega-3-rich foods, you may want to talk to a healthcare provider about whether a supplement is right for you.

Health Benefits of Omega-3s

Science is probably nowhere near closing the book on all of omega-3s’ benefits. But here’s what we know so far about their potential health benefits.

May promote cardiovascular health

Let’s start with the best-known of omega-3s’ benefits—their potential to protect your heart. Multiple studies have found that these fats help reduce triglycerides, a major risk factor for heart disease.

According to the AHA, just 3 grams of omega-3s per day could also lower blood pressure, bringing cardiovascular disease risk down even further. Sounds like a good reason to snag some fish or sprinkle some walnuts onto a salad!

May boost brain health

Your heart isn’t the only vital organ that can benefit from omega-3s. Your brain loves these healthy fats, too. Research shows that eating more of them could increase learning, memory, cognitive well-being, and blood flow in the brain.

Omega-3s may even offer a non-prescription approach to dementia treatment. They’ve been shown to improve cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s disease. which is a promising discovery.

May improve mental health

Considering that omega-3s affect the brain, it’s not surprising that they could impact both mental health and cognitive health as well. That’s a very good thing, considering depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions affect more than one quarter of American adults.

Omega-3 usage has been linked with reduced symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Specifically, EPA and DHA (the fats found primarily in seafood) are thought to be the most beneficial for mental health issues.

May support eye health

Protecting your eyes might be a matter of eating more fish. One older study on more than 32,000 women found that those who consumed the most omega-3 fatty acids from fish had a 17% lower risk of developing dry eye syndrome.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology explains that, because dry eye can be fueled by inflammation, omega-3s’ inflammation-lowering properties may be the mechanism at work here.

May help manage inflammatory conditions

If you live with inflammatory or autoimmune conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, or asthma, you might want to turn to omega-3s for relief. Older research found that people with chronic inflammatory diseases experienced fewer symptoms when supplemented with these fatty acids.

They sometimes even lowered their use of medication by taking omega-3s. More recently, another study revealed that people who took an omega-3 supplement with or without vitamin D had a 15 percent reduced risk of autoimmune disease.

May promote healthy pregnancies and infant brain development

When you’re pregnant, your growing baby’s brain needs fatty acids to develop properly. EPA and DHA are particularly critical for the development of brain and nerve cells in utero. But benefits of omega-3s during pregnancy don’t stop there.

A large research review from 2021 found that women who used omega-3 supplements during pregnancy had an 11 percent reduced risk of preterm birth. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommend that pregnant women eat eight to 12 ounces of low-mercury seafood each week.

Bottom Line

Omega-3s may not be the answer for every health woe, but they have a lot to offer for your brain, your heart, and your overall inflammation levels. And even though they’re most commonly found in fatty seafood, you don’t have to be fish lover to get enough of them.

Try bumping up your intake of walnuts, canola oil, chia seeds, and flaxseed meal to reap these polyunsaturated fats’ benefits. Or, if you feel your diet isn’t doing the trick, talk to a healthcare provider about the possibility of adding a supplement.