Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Their Impact on COVID-19

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid which cannot be made from the body. It can be found in many foods such as plant oils, nuts, flaxseeds and seafoods. They are an important component of cell membranes and are associated with a lower risk of several diseases.

In a pilot study published in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, investigators provided the first bits of evidence that individuals with higher levels of omega-3 in their blood may potentially be at a reduced risk of dying from COVID-19.

In a conversation with two of the lead authors, William Harris, PhD, a professor of internal medicine at the University of South Dakota and Michael Myers, MD, a physician at the Los Alamitos Medical Center, they discuss the important findings from their study.

“What we found was that people in the highest quartile of Omega-3s, 1 person died, and in the lower 3 quartiles, 13 people died,” Harris said. “ When we did the statistics, we found that it wasn’t quite statistically significant by standard metrics, but it was very close to it.”

“It is most likely very real, we're working on trying to do a larger and more detailed study to confirm everything,” Myers said.