EPA and DHA

No summary available for this substance.

EPA and DHA

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two types of Omega-3 fatty acids primarily found in fish and seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon and tuna. They are polyunsaturated fats which are vital for normal metabolism and have numerous health benefits due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

Category
Nutritional supplement
Molecular Formula
EPA: C20H30O2, DHA: C22H32O2
Mechanism of Action
EPA and DHA are involved in the synthesis of eicosanoids and prostaglandins, which play key roles in inflammation and blood clotting. They are also integral components of cell membranes, influencing membrane fluidity and other cellular functions.
Evidence Grade
A

Other Names

  • Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Fish oil

Primary Benefits

  • Heart health
  • Brain health
  • Eye health
  • Mental health

Recommended Dosage

Adults 250-500 mg combined EPA and DHA per day
Children 50-100 mg combined EPA and DHA per day
Pregnant Women 200-300 mg DHA per day

Side Effects

  • Fishy aftertaste
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Bloating
  • Heartburn

Precautions

  • People with seafood allergies
  • People on blood thinners
  • Patients preparing for surgery

Interactions

  • Blood thinners
  • Blood pressure medications
  • Contraceptive pills

Key References

  • Swanson, D., Block, R., & Mousa, S.A. (2012). Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life. Advances in Nutrition, 3(1), 1-7.
  • Cederholm, T., & Salem, N. (2013). Omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention of cognitive decline in humans. Advances in Nutrition, 4(6), 672-676.
Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health
Understanding Omega-3 Impact: Health Benefits Through Diet and Research 19:44 0
“vegetarian or vegan would be an algal oil so the original source of epa and dha in a fish is not that they make omega-3 they don't really make omega-3 any better than we do or make epa and dha they eat pre-formed epa and dha and it comes from their food sources which at the bottom of the food chain is these micro single celled micro”

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Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health
Understanding Omega-3 Impact: Health Benefits Through Diet and Research 20:50 0
“if we can get over the gmo issue there are two or three groups that have found ways to put genes into plant or land plant animal land plants that can be grown you know as long as you've got ground you can grow them um camelina is one even soybean oil which starts with ala you can get up to a fair amount of dha epa and dha with genetic engineering of these plants”

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Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health
Understanding Omega-3 Impact: Health Benefits Through Diet and Research 45:27 0
“average americans roughly 5 omega-3 index which is epa and dha in red cells as a percent of the total fatty acids in the red cells so five percent of the fatty acids in the red cell membrane epa and dha japan it's on average nine percent”

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Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health
Understanding Omega-3 Impact: Health Benefits Through Diet and Research 49:46 0
“correlated the omega-3 index to cause mortality is able to even predict uh mortality very very interesting study um i shared it on social media but i would love to talk about it yeah yeah sure that was a it's gonna be probably one of my capstone studies i think in in hindsight um it was a collaboration among 17 different cohorts like like the framingham studies of cohort women's health initiatives mesa epic these are all and from all around the world these are groups that have been recruited at one point in time blood samples taken fatty acid levels measured in that blood and then the investigators just follow this group of people over time to see what happens what kind of diseases they get you know who gets who dies who doesn't and so we had 17 of those pooled together and around 40 45 000 people all together where we had omega-3 levels at the beginning and then roughly um the total follow-up time when you're when you're looking at risk for death all cause mortality you obviously look in a given window of time because if you wait long enough it's one hundred percent everybody…”

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Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health
Understanding Omega-3 Impact: Health Benefits Through Diet and Research 1:03:54 0
“it's actually a bewildering array of molecules that have been discovered made from epa and dha that operate on different cell types and different receptors through different mechanisms but at the end of the day they suppress an inflammatory response and keep it from getting out of control.”

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Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health
Understanding Omega-3 Impact: Health Benefits Through Diet and Research 1:28:47 0
“epinova which is a epa plus dha same ratio is in lavazza except they're free fatty acids not ethyl esters so they're unasterified epa and dha which which they had previously shown are more readily absorbed.”

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276 ‒ Special episode: Peter on longevity, supplements, protein, fasting, apoB, statins, & more
Longevity, Health Tools, Proactive Management: Nutrition, Exercise, Supplements, Genetic Insights 27:59 0
“I take EPA and DHA so I take fish oil... by taking four of these capsules a day I'm taking roughly 2 grams of EPA a day and probably a gram and a half of DHA.”

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Bruce Ames on Triage Theory, Longevity Vitamins & Micronutrients
Understanding Nutritional Essentials for Optimal Health and Longevity 0:39 0
“And the second paper which was just recently accepted for publication is on vitamin D and the marine omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and what role they play in ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and impulsive behavior.”

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Leading Cardiologist: Your Doctor Is WRONG About Cholesterol | Dr. William Davis
Challenging Health Myths: Nutrition, Heart Health, and Gut Microbiome Insights 42:42 0
“their lipoprotein molecule was much less likely to cause heart disease and they got about 5000 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day.”

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Dr. Peter Attia: Improve Vitality, Emotional & Physical Health & Lifespan | Huberman Lab Podcast
Improving Healthspan Through Lifestyle Choices and Preventive Health Measures 2:20:35 0
“there's tons of supplements that I think about when it comes to brain health you know what about thumin what about magnesium with L3 and8 the transporter um what about methylated vitamins that lower homocysteine what about EPA and DHA.”

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Dr. Peter Attia: Supplements for Longevity & Their Efficacy
Supplements, Lifestyle, and Strategies for Longevity and Optimal Health 2:12:28 0
“I take EPA and DHA in the form of liquid or capsule fish oil capsules”

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Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Micronutrients for Health & Longevity | Huberman Lab Podcast #70
Optimizing Health and Longevity Through Nutrients and Lifestyle Choices 1:01:03 0
“And ALA, it can be converted into EPA and DHA, but the conversion is very inefficient and very dependent on a variety of factors, including genetics.”

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How Vitamin D, Omega-3s, & Exercise May Increase Longevity | Dr. Rhonda Patrick
Essential Insights for Health and Longevity Through Diet and Lifestyle 21:13 0
“And it was calculated that about, I think it was something like 84,000 deaths per year were attributed to not getting enough EPA and DHA from the diet.”

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How Vitamin D, Omega-3s, & Exercise May Increase Longevity | Dr. Rhonda Patrick
Essential Insights for Health and Longevity Through Diet and Lifestyle 25:34 0
“So, the omega-3 index is measuring omega-3 fatty acid levels, the EPA and DHA, and there's other fatty acids as well, but in red blood cell membranes.”

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