Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats found mainly in fish, plant oils, and algae. They are essential for the body but cannot be made on our own, so we must get them from food or supplements. This study reviewed and analyzed over 35,000 scientific papers published worldwide to understand how omega-3 fatty acids benefit both human and animal health.
The analysis shows that omega-3 research has grown rapidly since the 2000s, with most studies focusing on three key types: ALA (from plants) and EPA & DHA (mainly from fish and algae). These fats are most often linked to reducing inflammation, improving heart health, supporting brain function and mental health, and lowering the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and depression.
Fish and fish oil are the most studied sources, but plant-based and sustainable alternatives like flaxseed and microalgae are gaining attention. The study also highlights important benefits of omega-3s in animal health, including stronger immunity, better growth, improved fertility, and higher nutritional quality of animal products like meat, milk, and eggs.
Overall, this large-scale analysis confirms that omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in health, supports current dietary recommendations, and points to growing interest in sustainable omega-3 sources for the future.
Full text: Andy Wai Kan Yeung, Magdalena Solka, Artur Jóźwik, Natalia Ksepka, Maima Matin, Kamil Wysocki, Emad M. Abdallah, Arun Sundar Mohana Sundaram, László Barna Iantovics, Javier Echeverría, Devesh Tewari, Jarosław Olav Horbańczuk, Massimo Lucarini, Alessandra Durazzo, Artur Stolarczyk, Olga Adamska, Siva Sai Chandragiri, Nikolay T. Tzvetkov, Farhan Bin Matin, Małgorzata Łysek-Gładysinska, Anupam Bishayee, Hari Prasad Devkota, Rajeev K. Singla, Sara Frazzini, Luciana Rossi, Antonello Santini, Michel-Edwar Mickael, Bodrun Naher Siddiquea, Dalibor Hrg, Monika Szymańska-Czerwińska, Krzysztof Niemczuk, Patryk Sztandarski, Aneta Jaszczyk, Hanna Michnowska, Joanna Marchewka, Magdalena Pieczyńka-Kovacs, Artur Zelent, Paweł Urbański, Danuta Siwiec, Olaf Horbańczuk, Anna Charuta, Marcin Łapiński, Michał Ławiński, Ahmed Fatimi, Latifa Bouissane, Nina Strzałkowska, Piotr Poznański, Barbara Wijas, Grzegorz Pogorzelski and Atanas G. Atanasov, Omega-3 fatty acids: dietary components for the promotion of human and animal health, Animal Science Papers and Reports, Volume 43 (2025): Issue 3 (September 2025), https://doi.org/10.2478/aspr-2025-0017.