News & Science

Omega-3 dietary supplements could possibly improve the COVID-19 patient's recovery. Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), present an anti-inflammatory effect that could ameliorate some patients need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission

A study published in the British Medical Journal found an association between higher blood levels of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA, DPA, and DHA and “healthy aging.” The authors concluded their findings support guidelines for increased dietary consumption of long-chain omega-3s in older adults.

Omega-3 FA significantly improved depressive symptoms in perinatal women regardless of pregnant or postpartum and well-tolerated. Furthermore, the omega-3 response was linked to higher EPA proportion in omega-3 formula and mild- to-moderate depression.

Omega-3 (DHA+EPA+DPA) possess properties that may be protective in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Using the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), researchers hypothesized that higher plasma levels of n-3 PUFAs would be associated with a slower progression of percent emphysema on CT, a slower decline in lung function, and a lower risk of chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD) events. 

A low total omega‐3 PUFA status in early pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of early preterm birth. Among women with a total omega‐3 status ≤4.1% of total fatty acids, omega‐3 supplementation substantially reduced the risk of early preterm birth.

Scholars at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital have suggested that maternal dietary intake of Omega-3 fatty acids correlates positively with regional brain volumes in 1-month-old term infants.Omega-3 fatty acids remained significantly correlated with infant brain volumes after subsetting to the 54 infants who were exclusively breastfed, but retinol and vitamin B12 did not.

Recent results showed that n-3 DPA is implied in the improvement of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk markers, especially plasma lipid parameters, platelet aggregation, cellular plasticity. Moreover, n-3 DPA is the most abundant n-3 LCPUFA in the brain after DHA and it could be specifically beneficial for elderly neuroprotection, and early-life development.

Almost 95% of NCAA Division I athletes fail to achieve the recommendation to consume 500 mg DHA+EPA per day, says a new study that highlights the opportunities to boost Omega-3 intakes among this population for heart and brain health.

A drug based on Eicosapentaenoic acid free fatty acid (EPA-FFA, or EPA in free fatty acid form) is soon entering clinical trials as a promising candidate to treat patients with symptoms of the novel coronavirus infection.