The Healthspan Map · Nutrient
EPA/DHA (omega-3)
Linked to getting too little
| Nutrient or lever | Direction | Strength | Evidence type | What was found | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | Marine omega-3 (EPA/DHA ~2 g/d) moderately reduces anxiety symptoms (low GRADE certainty). | Bafkar et al. 2024 (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Emerging | Review / narrative | Omega-3s (~3 g/day) support muscle protein synthesis and physical function in older adults, an emerging anti-sarcopenia lever. | Omega-3 & muscle-function review (PMC6116139) (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | Review / narrative | DHA is a structural brain fatty acid; omega-3 (EPA/DHA) supports cognition and improves some measures in mild cognitive impairment. | Micronutrient-cognition review; Linus Pauling Institute (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | Review / narrative | DHA is a structural brain fatty acid; omega-3 (EPA/DHA) supports cognition and improves some measures in mild cognitive impairment. | Linus Pauling Institute — Essential Fatty Acids (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Emerging | Review / narrative | Omega-3s support skeletal-muscle protein synthesis and mitochondrial function; an emerging, indirect fatigue lever. | Protein/omega-3 & muscle-function review (PMC6116139) (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Strong | RCT / meta-analysis | Omega-3 (EPA-predominant, 1-2 g/d) significantly reduces depressive symptoms (SMD -0.28) across 26 RCTs. | Bai et al. 2019, Transl Psychiatry (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | High EPA+DHA intake (~1.5 g/d) reduces migraine frequency and severity; 40-RCT network meta supports high-dose EPA/DHA prophylaxis. | Ramsden et al. 2021, BMJ; omega-3 network meta 2023 (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | RCT / trial | High EPA+DHA intake (~1.5 g/d) reduces migraine frequency and severity; 40-RCT network meta supports high-dose EPA/DHA prophylaxis. | Ramsden et al., "Dietary alteration of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids for headache reduction in adults with migraine: randomized controlled trial", BMJ 2021 (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) lowers blood pressure by about 2 mmHg around 3 g/day in a dose-response meta-analysis. | Omega-3 & BP meta (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | Review / narrative | Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) substantially lowers triglycerides in a dose-dependent way, though very high doses can slightly raise LDL. | Lifestyle & lipids (Endotext) (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | Review / narrative | Omega-3 PUFAs enhance serotonin signaling and melatonin secretion; low omega-3 is linked to disturbed sleep. | Nutritional-interventions review (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammatory joint pain (rheumatoid arthritis SMD -0.42; osteoarthritis modest) and support muscle protein synthesis. | Omega-3 & joint pain meta (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Emerging | RCT / trial | Omega-3 fatty acids are neuroprotective and reduced incidence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in an RCT. | Omega-3 & peripheral neuropathy (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | Review / narrative | Omega-3s from fish or nuts support sperm-membrane structure and spermatogenesis and relate to better embryo quality in women. | Diet & men’s fertility (Fertil Steril 2018) (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Emerging | Review / narrative | Omega-3-derived pro-resolving mediators aid inflammation resolution in the airway, though respiratory-infection benefit is still emerging. | Nutritional supplements & viral respiratory infections (ScienceDirect 2024) (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | Review / narrative | Omega-3 fatty acids support the skin lipid barrier and hydration and reduce inflammatory skin conditions and photoageing. | "Diet and Skin Aging - From the Perspective of Food Nutrition", Nutrients 2020 (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | Marine omega-3 (EPA/DHA, ~2 g/d) moderately reduces anxiety symptoms (low GRADE certainty). | Bafkar et al. 2024 (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Moderate | Review / narrative | DHA is the dominant fatty acid of the retina; omega-3s ease dry-eye disease and are associated with lower diabetic-retinopathy risk. | Eye vitamins review (Healthline) (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Strong | RCT / meta-analysis | EPA/DHA supplementation lowers CRP, IL-6 and TNF-a (umbrella meta-analysis of ~148 trials) via resolvins and NF-kB inhibition. | Omega-3 & inflammation (opens in a new tab) |
| EPA/DHA (omega-3) | Eat enough of | Emerging | Review / narrative | Omega-3 supplementation produces small reductions in urinary protein in CKD, though effects on GFR decline are inconsistent. | Diet & CKD (ScienceDirect S2161831322002241) (opens in a new tab) |