Can Omega 3 Help with Inflammation?

QUICK SUMMARY: Yes, omega-3 fatty acids help lower the production of pro-inflammatory compounds, and higher omega-3 intake is consistently linked with lower inflammatory markers. 

Inflammation is part of our body’s natural defense system. Have you noticed when you have a cut, it swells and turns red after a short while? That’s our body’s inflammatory response to something harming us. It essentially works to heal us!

However, our body’s inflammatory defense system can sometimes go into overdrive, often triggered by factors such as smoking, along with a poor diet and lifestyle.

If our body is in a state of inflammation for too long, it can wreak havoc on our health. Chronic inflammation has been shown to contribute to the development and progression of many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and certain cancers. (8)

That’s why this topic matters for health-conscious adults who want to reduce inflammation through nutrition, including people looking for clean-label, science-backed supplements such as vegans, vegetarians, biohackers, and those focused on cognitive and overall wellness.

There are many lifestyle changes and specific strategies we can implement to help prevent inflammation, and omega-3 is one of the most researched. This article looks at what omega-3 is, its wider health benefits, how it helps inflammation, the role of diet and lifestyle changes, and the best way to supplement for the strongest anti-inflammatory results.

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Sources of Omega 3

You can find omega-3 fatty acids in foods such as:

• oily fish and other seafood, with fatty fish among the top dietary sources of EPA and DHA, including salmon and mackerel

• flaxseeds, nuts, chia seeds, walnuts, and certain vegetable oils, which provide ALA

• Fortified foods.

Sources of natural DHA and EPA are valuable, but what if you don't eat fish? Supplementation is sometimes necessary for those who feel they don’t get enough through diet alone, or if they require a higher dose.

If you're looking for a vegan alternative to fish oil or you simply don't like fish (or the fishy burps that come with many traditional fish oil supplements), Performance Lab Omega 3 takes its fatty acids from the original source, algae. Algae is vegan-friendly and also provides Omega 3 direct in the useful DHA and EPA forms.

Let’s look at some of the health benefits of omega-3!

What Are the Benefits of Omega-3?

Omega-3 and Fish Oil Supplements for Heart Health

Fish oils have been shown to support heart health by:

• Increasing levels of “good” HDL cholesterol (10)

• Lowering triglycerides (a type of fat found in our blood) (11)

• Reducing blood pressure in people with elevated levels, which may be especially relevant for those with high blood pressure (12)

• May help stabilize advanced arterial plaques, making them less likely to rupture as arteries harden. (5)

Omega-3 for Depression

Studies have shown that some people with depression are particularly low in DHA and EPA. While more research is needed on this, in some studies supplementing with omega-3 fish oils has been shown to help reduce signs of depression in those who are severely depressed. (6)

Another small study showed that omega 3 supplementation helped to reduce anxiety by 20%. (14)

Omega-3 for Eye Health

DHA, one of the main types of omega-3, is a major structural component of the retina of your eye, thus lack of DHA may cause problems with vision. (7)

Sufficient intake of omega-3 has also been linked to reduced risk of macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness. (15)

Omega-3: Does Fish Oil Help With Inflammation?

As we have established, inflammation is part of our body’s natural response to harm, infections, and damage in our body. Our inflammatory response is essential to our survival and health.

However, long-term, or chronic inflammation contributes to many illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. The main triggers of chronic inflammation are poor diet and lifestyle, and smoking.

So, it goes without saying that improving your overall diet and lifestyle would help reduce your risk of inflammation. By this, we mean stopping smoking, reducing intake of highly processed foods, getting adequate physical activity, and following a healthy, balanced, and varied diet.

Omega 3 May Reduce Inflammation

Omega-3 plays a significant role in a healthy diet, especially as they are classed as essential fats, meaning we can only get them through food. EPA and DHA enter immune-cell membranes, replacing arachidonic acid to help regulate the immune response away from pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and cytokines.

A higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation by inhibiting the COX pathway and lowering proteins and cytokines linked to it, including TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6.1

DHA also helps block NF-κB activation, and the body converts EPA and DHA into compounds with anti inflammatory effects called resolvins, protectins, and maresins. (16)

In people with rheumatoid arthritis, higher-dose fish oil supplementation has been associated with reductions in joint pain, morning stiffness, and the need for anti-inflammatory medications in some patients. (22)

Overall, the research and current evidence suggests fish oil may help lower inflammation, and researchers found that higher doses can lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers, but further research and more data are still needed across other conditions and populations.

STUDY: A 2019 meta analysis of omega 3 supplementation among people with cardiovascular conditions and diabetes concluded that omega 3 fatty acids may help to lower inflammatory biomarkers. (17)

Omega-3 For Inflammation: A Final Word

When choosing an omega-3 supplement, the most important thing to look for is the DHA and EPA. For general wellness, 250–500 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day is a common target, while anti-inflammatory support or joint pain may call for 2,000–3,000 mg daily because higher amounts are often needed for noticeable relief. (18, 19)

Fish oil supplements are generally considered safe as recommended, though some people notice mild GI upset or a fishy aftertaste. High doses, especially above 3 grams per day, can increase bleeding risk and potentially raise stroke risk, particularly with certain medications, so speak with doctors before taking fish oil supplements at those levels. (20, 21)

Performance Lab Omega-3 provides EPA and DHA at the ideal 2:1 DHA to EPA ratio. Made from algal oil, it avoids many of the potential side effects of fish oils, including fishy taste and fishy burps! It is also Clean Label certified.

When comparing supplements, it’s smart to choose dietary supplements tested for contaminants such as mercury since nonprescription oil supplements can spoil.

The FDA regulates dietary supplements, but they are not reviewed or approved for safety and effectiveness before marketing. All Performance Lab products are third-party tested for purity and contamination.