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Why Do We Need Omega-3 and Are You Getting Enough? · So That's Why

• 0:04
  Jen Oliver: Welcome to the, so That's Why Podcast where we unpack the
• 0:08
  science behind everyday questions.
• 0:10
  I'm Jen.
• 0:11
  Chris Smith: I'm Chris.
• 0:11
  Jamie Eynon: And I'm Jamie.
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  Jen Oliver: Today we're answering a question that sounds
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  straightforward, but is actually more interesting than you'd expect.
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  Why do we need Omega-3?
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  Because let's be honest, we hear about it constantly.
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  It's on food labels, in health headlines in practically
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  every top 10 supplement list.
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  But when you actually ask people what Omega-3 does, you tend to
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  get a vague wave of the hand and something about it being good for you.
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  Jamie Eynon: That's generous.
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  I think most people's understanding begins and ends with, I should
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  probably be having more of it.
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  It's one of those things we all nod along to without really knowing why.
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  Chris Smith: And here's what makes Omega-3 genuinely remarkable because
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  your body cannot make it, and yet it's a structural building block of your
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  brain, your eyes, and the membrane of every single cell in your body.
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  Did you know that roughly 40% of the brains growing matter is made up of one
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  of the specific Omega-3 fatty acids,
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  Jen Oliver: 40% of your brain?
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  I mean, that's not, it's not minor, it's not a minor supporting role.
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  It's like, it's like the headline Act.
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  Chris Smith: I know.
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  And yet, despite it being that critical to health, the average intake across
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  the US and UK is a fraction of what the research suggests it should be.
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  So we're talking about a massive gap between what most people consume
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  and what the science points to.
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  The thing is because Omega-3 isn't classified as a vitamin, which
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  it really should be, deficiency, doesn't get the same level of focus.
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  Jamie Eynon: So nearly half of our brain is built from something that
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  most of us aren't getting enough of.
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  That feels like an important thing to know about.
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  Jen Oliver: It definitely does.
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  So let's start with the basics.
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  When we say Omega-3, we're actually talking about a family of fatty
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  acids, and the name refers to where a specific chemical bond
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  sits on the mo on the molecule.
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  That's quite scientific, isn't it?
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  But the important thing in there is that there are three main
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  types, and they're not all equal.
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  Chris Smith: That's right.
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  I mean, Omega-3, it sounds a bit sexier than it really is.
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  It's just a kind of chemistry position, isn't it?
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  But there you go.
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  But yeah, you're right.
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  There are three forms.
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  So there's a l, a e, p, A and DHA.
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  They're the main forms.
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  Jen Oliver: That's, let's say the names Chris, let's say the names
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  Chris Smith: I, that's normally Matt.
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  Matt normally does that to me.
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  But yeah,
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  Jen Oliver: Jamie
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  Jamie Eynon: come on, Chris.
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  Chris Smith: So you're absolutely right.
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  There are three forms or three main forms of Omega-3.
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  We have.
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  A-L-A-E-P-A and DHA and they've got very different roles and they're
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  very different for the body.
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  So ALA, which is alpha linolenic acid is found in plant foods like
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  uh, flax seed, chia, walnuts.
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  We have EPA and D-H-A-E-P-A being ICOs, stentin acid.
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  DHA being do cosa hexa noic acid.
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  They're the two forms that do the heavy lifting when it comes to health benefits.
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  They're the forms that the body needs and they're found naturally
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  in microalgae, which is actually the original source in the food chain.
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  Jen Oliver: And that's an important distinction, isn't it?
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  Microalgae produce Omega-3, the EPA and DHA.
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  The fish accumulate it by eating the algae or eating things that eat algae.
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  So the algae are the primary producer and everything else is secondary.
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  Jamie Eynon: So the alga are doing the, all the work and the fish have
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  been taking the credit this whole time,
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  Chris Smith: pretty much.
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  Hmm.
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  And we always say we can, uh, cut out the middle fish, don't we?
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  Yeah.
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  Yeah.
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  Um, this matters because even though your body can technically convert
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  a LA from plant foods into EPA and DHA, it does it really poorly.
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  So research suggests that, or research has shown that conversion
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  rates are about 5% from a LA to EPA.
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  And even less about, well under 1% from a LA to DHA with some
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  studies showing conversion doesn't actually always take place at all.
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  Jen Oliver: So those figures are really low.
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  So if you're relying solely on flaxseed or cheer seeds for your EPA and DHA,
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  you'd need like unrealistic quantities to match what you can actually get
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  from an algae based supplement.
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  Chris Smith: Exactly.
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  So a LA rich foods are valuable to our health.
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  So walnuts, chia seeds, and flax, hemp, as I've mentioned.
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  They're all really good, but, and this should be part of your
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  diet, just not for active Omega-3.
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  You need the Omega-3 directly in those bioactive forms of EPA and DHA,
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  Jamie Eynon: right?
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  And that conversion problem affects everyone regardless of what diet they
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  follow, whether you eat fish or not.
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  Knowing the difference between a LA and the EPA and DHA, your body
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  actually uses is pretty fundamental.
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  Jen Oliver: Okay, so now we know what Omega-3 is.
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  Let's get into what it actually does.
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  'cause here's where it gets impressive.
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  And here's where Chris can geek out.
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  Um, but the heart health evidence is substantial, isn't it?
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  Chris Smith: Yeah, it really is.
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  And there was a major Cochran review that looked at, um, 86 randomized
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  controlled trials involving over 160,000 participants, and it found
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  that Omega-3 supplementation reduced.
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  Triglyceride levels by about 15% and decreased rates of death
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  caused by cardiovascular diseases.
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  Jen Oliver: And one of the other LA one of the largest studies on
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  this was, was the vital trial.
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  And that followed over 25,000 adults for more than five years.
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  And they found that just one gram of Omega-3 daily produced a 28%
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  reduction in total heart attacks.
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  And for those who weren't getting, um, EPA and DHA already in their
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  diet, the reduction was even larger.
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  It was 40%.
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  Jamie Eynon: 28% from one gram a day.
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  Mm.
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  That's genuinely significant for something you can take
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  alongside your morning coffee.
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  Chris Smith: Yeah, it is.
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  It's huge.
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  And, and it firmly answers that question of whether a supplement
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  kind of this big can really make a measurable difference to health.
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  Jen Oliver: But Omega-3 isn't just a heart story, is it?
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  You know, DHA, like you mentioned, is a structural component of the brain and
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  the evidence for cognitive function.
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  It's really building a review of clinical trials, found that Omega-3
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  supplementation improves learning.
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  Memory and blood flow in the brain.
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  Chris Smith: Yeah, and there's a really fascinating piece of research, uh,
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  recently published showing that Omega-3 supplementation significantly increases
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  brain derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF, which is a protein crucial for
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  brain structure and cognitive performance.
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  Jamie Eynon: And Omega-3 isn't just maintaining the brain as it is.
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  It's actively supporting the brain's ability to adapt and learn.
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  Chris Smith: Totally.
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  That's a really good way of putting it actually.
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  And for older adults, higher, DHA levels have been linked to better cognitive
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  test scores with benefits appearing greater when supplementation starts.
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  Before any noticeable cognitive decline,
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  Jen Oliver: there's good mental health research too.
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  A study in 2024, they found that higher DHA levels.
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  Um, and what's called the Omega-3 Index were linked to brain connectivity
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  profiles associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety.
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  Chris Smith: It did, and a separate intervention trial found a significant
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  decrease in anxiety symptoms with daily EPA and DHA supplementation over 12 weeks.
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  What's interesting is that the EPA appears more effective for mood
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  while DHA is more important for cognition and brain structure.
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  Jamie Eynon: They're working as a team, right.
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  EPA handles the emotional side.
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  DHA handles the structural side.
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  It's a useful distinction for people trying to understand
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  which type matters for them.
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  Jen Oliver: Yeah, you're right.
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  And the, the same anti-inflammatory and structural effects show up in other
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  parts of the body too, like joint health.
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  So a review that combined results from nine randomized controlled trials,
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  they found that Omega-3 supplements help reduce pain and improve
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  function in osteoarthritis patients.
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  Chris Smith: And that's brilliant, isn't it?
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  Jen Oliver: Mm-hmm.
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  Chris Smith: And you know, interestingly, several trials have found that people
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  with rheumatoid rheumatoid arthritis, should I say, taking Omega-3 needed
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  less anti-inflammatory medication.
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  Plus, those individuals tended to respond better to standard
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  treatments and reach remission faster.
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  Jamie Eynon: It is becoming clear.
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  That is one of those topics, uh, where you start pulling a thread and
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  realize it connects to practically everything, heart, brain, mood, joints.
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  It's amazing how many systems Omega-3 plays a role in.
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  What are some of the other ones that we haven't talked about yet?
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  Chris Smith: Yeah, so there are quite a few actually.
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  And, um, one big one is eye health.
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  So DHA is a structural component of the retina.
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  And dietary Omega-3 intake is linked to a lower risk of
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  age-related macular degeneration.
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  And macular degeneration is a huge consideration for an aging population.
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  But Omega-3 isn't just about structure.
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  It also helps regulate inflammation and immune function, which is why we see
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  effects in autoimmune disease research.
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  Like in the vital study that Jen mentioned.
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  Omega three's also really important of course, for mom and baby during pregnancy.
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  Jen Oliver: Totally.
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  And the pregnancy research is really striking.
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  So there was a review of 70 trials involving nearly 20,000 women, and they
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  found that Omega-3 supplements reduced the risk of early preterm birth by 42%,
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  Jamie Eynon: 42% reduction in early preterm birth.
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  That's potentially life changing for families.
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  Jen Oliver: Absolutely, absolutely.
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  Now, one thing we should address is.
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  The omega six to Omega-3 ratio.
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  'cause this comes up quite a lot.
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  Chris Smith: It does and it is important.
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  So both omega six and Omega-3 are essential fatty acids
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  and your body does need both.
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  The issue is balance, so they compete for the same metabolic enzymes and omega six
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  derived signaling molecules tend to be more pro-inflammatory, whereas Omega-3
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  derived ones are anti-inflammatory.
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  Okay,
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  Jen Oliver: so there was a study in the UK of over 85,000 participants,
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  and they found that as the omega six to Omega-3 ratio increase, so did the
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  risk of death with the sharpest increase once the ratio exceeded eight to one.
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  And it's interesting to note that most.
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  Western diets are estimated at a 15 to one or a 20 to one ratio,
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  Jamie Eynon: but the answer is not to panic about Omega-3.
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  Uh, sorry.
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  Omega six, right?
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  Chris Smith: Not at all.
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  No.
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  So you need omega six.
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  The practical solution is simply to increase your Omega-3 intake.
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  If you fix the Omega-3 side, the ratio improves natural.
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  Jen Oliver: Okay, so what are the signs that someone might not be getting enough?
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  Because we know that deficiency is incredibly common.
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  Chris Smith: It is, and the signs tend to be things that
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  people attribute to other causes.
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  So dry or irritated skin being one, because Omega-3 helps maintain
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  the skin's moisture barrier, joint stiffness that isn't clearly
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  linked to an injury is another.
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  Then you've got things like poor concentration and
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  brain fog or mood changes.
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  Dry eyes, fatigue, even brittle hair and nails.
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  These are all signs of Omega-3 deficiency.
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  Jamie Eynon: So a whole collection of things that most people would just
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  put down to being tired or getting a bit older when actually their body
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  might be quietly asking for more.
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  Omega-3.
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  I reckon half the people listening to this are mentally ticking off
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  at least two of those right now.
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  Jen Oliver: Probably more than two.
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  And the frustrating thing is that people spend time and money chasing
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  solutions for symptoms individually.
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  So you might buy a cream for dry skin pain, take painkillers for your joints.
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  Have coffee for the concentration issues when part of the answer might just be
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  addressing one underlying nutritional gap.
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  Chris Smith: Yeah, that's a really important point.
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  It's not that Omega-3 is this kind of magic bullet or miracle cure for all
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  those things, but if you're consistently not getting enough Omega-3, those
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  symptoms can stack up quietly over time.
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  Jen Oliver: So what should people actually aim for?
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  Chris Smith: So for healthy adults, most health organizations recommend
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  a minimum of 250 to 500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA daily.
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  For people with existing heart conditions, their recommendations a bit higher,
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  it's about a thousand milligrams.
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  And for high blood triglyceride levels, clinical doses can go
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  up to about 4,000 milligrams.
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  But that would be under medical supervision.
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  Our main advice is to be between 500 to a thousand milligrams per day, which is
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  a really beneficial ongoing daily dose,
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  Jamie Eynon: and the average person is getting about a hundred milligrams a day.
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  That's a huge shortfall.
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  Chris Smith: It really is.
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  And and that's why supplementation makes sense for a lot of people.
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  So.
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  Whether it's, uh, an lgal based source like our Omega-3, uh, Vegetology or
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  from oily fish if's, your preference, the important thing is getting
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  the EP and DHA directly rather than relying on a LA conversion.
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  But just to say it's highly unlikely that battered fish bites from the
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  frozen food aisles of your supermarket are offering much by way of EPA or DHA
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  at all unless they've been fortified.
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  So always check these so-called Omega-3 rich foods really are.
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  Rich in Omega-3.
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  Mm-hmm.
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  Jamie Eynon: Yeah, that's a really good point.
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  It is easy to assume we're getting certain nutrients from headline
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  foods, but that's not always the case.
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  Jen Oliver: But the safety profile of Omega-3 is excellent too, isn't it?
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  So doses up to five grams daily are considered generally safe, and if
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  you're not keen on fish, algae based supplements avoid that fishy aftertaste
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  issue entirely, which is a bonus.
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  Jamie Eynon: Uh, what strikes me is how Omega-3 connects to so many things
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  we've talked about in previous episodes.
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  Brain fog, steep quality, joint health mood, it keeps showing up.
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  Jen Oliver: That's 'cause the mechanism is fundamentally about
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  inflammation and cell function.
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  So every cell membrane in your body contains fatty acids and the
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  balance of Omega-3 in those membranes influences how your cells communicate,
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  how you immune system responds, and how efficiently your brain operates.
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  Chris Smith: It really is foundational.
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  So if you get your Omega-3 intake right?
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  You're supporting multiple systems simultaneously, so cardiovascular,
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  neurological, immune, and musculoskeletal.
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  Jamie Eynon: So what's the simplest starting point for someone listening
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  to this thinking they should probably do something about it.
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  Chris Smith: So for Omega-3, as we said previously, the forms
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  that we need are EPA and DHA.
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  That is the key.
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  So a quality Omega-3 supplement or foods that are fortified with
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  Omega-3 are the most reliable and consistent way to close that gap.
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  If you eat oily fish, that can be a good source, but governments recommend
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  not eating too much oily fish because.
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  They can contain potentially high dangerous levels of
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  mercury and other heavy metals.
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  So let's be honest, it's kind of pointless getting in info Omega-3 if the mercury
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  of the fish is sending you a bit crazy.
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  Um, but the, the overall key is finding an Omega-3 E-P-N-D-H-A source that
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  works for you, something that you can take daily, because consistency
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  matters more than perfection.
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  Jamie Eynon: I think that's a message that applies to most health habits, isn't it?
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  Mm-hmm.
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  The best approach is the one that you're, you're likely to stick to.
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  Jen Oliver: Absolutely.
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  And it's, you know, it's worth saying that the research we've discussed
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  today, it isn't fringe science.
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  These are large scale peer reviewed.
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  Randomized controlled trials that involve tens of thousands of participants.
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  The evidence based for Omega-3, it's growing and it's really strong.
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  Jamie Eynon: So why do we need Omega-3?
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  Chris Smith: We need Omega-3 because it's an essential fatty acid that
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  your body cannot manufacture yet.
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  It's a structural component of your brain, your eyes, and every
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  cell membrane in your body.
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  And research shows that it, uh, supports cognitive function.
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  It reduces cardiovascular risk.
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  It helps manage inflammation in joints, and it plays a role in
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  mental health and so much more.
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  Jen Oliver: And because most of us aren't getting anywhere near enough, the subtle
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  signs of low Omega-3, the dry skin, the brain fog, the achy joints are easily
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  mistaken for life just being life.
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  Jamie Eynon: So that's why we need Omega-3, and it's worth paying
• 15:28
  attention to whether you are actually getting enough rather than just
• 15:31
  assuming you've got it covered.
• 15:33
  Jen Oliver: So that's it for this week.
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  Make sure that you hit that subscribe button.
• 15:37
  We're unpacking the science behind everyday questions each week.
• 15:42
  Tell us in the comments what you'd like us to explore.
• 15:45
  Thanks for geeking out with us, but for now, that's it from me.
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  Jamie Eynon: That's it from me,
• 15:49
  Chris Smith: and that's it from me.
• 15:50
  Jen Oliver: Bye for now.