The Healthspan Map · Nutrient

alpha-Linolenic acid (omega-3)

Compiled by Aamir Malik, PhD, Professor of Neuroengineering at Brno University of Technology, from published studies. He is a researcher, not a physician. Last updated 21 August 2026.

Linked to getting too little

Where a shortfall of alpha-Linolenic acid (omega-3) is linked: 1 source.In the order the Map holds them: strongest evidence first. That is a statement about the evidence, not about what matters most.
Condition or system	Direction	Strength	Evidence type	What was found	Source
Cardiovascular	Eat enough of	Moderate	Cohort / observational	Higher omega-3 intake is associated with lower cardiovascular risk (arrhythmia control, lower triglycerides/BP); low intake forgoes this protection.	Omega-3 cardiovascular literature (opens in a new tab)

Linked to getting too much

Where an excess of alpha-Linolenic acid (omega-3) is linked: 3 sources.In the order the Map holds them: strongest evidence first. That is a statement about the evidence, not about what matters most.
Condition or system	Direction	Strength	Evidence type	What was found	Source
Blood / Hematologic	Don't overdo	Moderate	Established clinical	High-dose omega-3 (fish-oil supplements) has an antiplatelet effect that can raise bleeding risk.	Fish-oil / bleeding literature (opens in a new tab)
Blood / Hematologic	Don't overdo	Moderate	RCT / meta-analysis	High-dose omega-3 (fish-oil supplements) has an antiplatelet effect that can raise bleeding risk.	"Bleeding Risk in Patients Receiving Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis", J Am Heart Assoc 2024 (opens in a new tab)
Cardiovascular	Don't overdo	Moderate	RCT / meta-analysis	High-dose omega-3 supplementation modestly increases the risk of atrial fibrillation in recent randomized trials.	High-dose omega-3 trials (opens in a new tab)

The Healthspan Map is part of Fix the Floor, a book by Aamir Malik. About the book