Omega-3s DHA and EPA Needed for Lung and Muscle Health

By Dr. Linda J. Dobberstein, DC, Board Certified in Clinical NutritionBy Dr. Linda J. Dobberstein, DC, Board Certified in Clinical Nutrition

Do you regularly eat cold water fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, or tuna? Or walnuts, hemp, flax or chia seeds? These foods are rich in omega-3 oils DHA, EPA and ALA. The long-chain omega-3 oils DHA and EPA are critical for brain, cholesterol and heart health, repair, and structure. Your muscles, respiratory tract, and gut-immune system also depend upon these oils. Are you getting enough DHA and EPA every day?

Omega-3 Sources

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential nutrients that must be consumed in your daily diet as your body cannot make them. There are three main types of omega-3 oils: ALA, DHA, and EPA. ALA is found in plant oils and is a short-chain omega-3 oil. Long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 oils EPA and DHA are found in fish and algae sources and are the preferred forms of omega-3 PUFAs.

ALA can convert into EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is less than 15% due to genetics and nutrient insufficiencies. Individuals who consume a plant-based diet, those who omit cold water fatty fish, algae, nuts and seeds, or follow the Western diet of high vegetable oil intake are at significant risk for insufficient dietary intake of EPA and DHA.

Here is a glimpse of some of the ways your body uses these long-chain omega-3 fats for your muscles, respiratory tract, gut microbiome-immune system, and nervous system.

Muscle Mass and Aging

Omega-3 EPA and DHA play important roles in how well you maintain your muscle strength and mass. Loss of muscle strength happens with physical inactivity, age, obesity, low protein intake, or chronic illness. Muscles break down from disuse, stress, and chronic wear-and-tear. You may find loss of strength with your hand grip, biceps, quadriceps, and even visibly see the loss of your buttock muscles.

Quality of life and even your personal safety become challenged with loss of muscle mass. Maintaining your balance, mobility, stability, and strength to get out of the car, up from the chair, or off the floor becomes difficult or requires assistance. Opening a jar, carrying groceries, and caring for yourself or a loved one who needs more assistance is compromised as your muscle mass declines.

A 2021 in-depth review study demonstrated the highly positive effects of omega-3 long-chain PUFAs and muscle mass. Supplementation of the oils modulated cellular signals and gene expression that decreased the production of several inflammatory compounds and protected proteins from breakdown. Results showed improvements in lean body mass, skeletal muscle mass, and quadricep muscle strength with EPA/DHA supplementation.

Prenatal Development and Respiratory Health

It is well known that omega-3 DHA is critical for brain development during pregnancy, early childhood, and throughout life. Did you know that DHA is also essential for normal lung development and maintaining lung tissue flexibility and inflammation management throughout your life?

During prenatal development, long-chain omega-3 DHA fatty acid increases surfactant concentration, enhances alveolarization, and modulates inflammation. This is essential for your lung cells to expand and relax more easily with each breath. These needs are especially high during pregnancy and early childhood.

A three year-long clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine proved that children benefited greatly in lung function and immune-respiratory health in mothers who supplemented with 2.4 grams of omega-3 fish oil per day during pregnancy.

Taking omega-3 fish oils during pregnancy can affect respiratory health years later. Other clinical trials evaluated the effect of omega-3 fish oil on respiratory health during pregnancy to 18-19 year olds. Results showed significant, long-term prophylactic support of lung health with fewer respiratory challenges.

Furthermore, a recent review study outlined the beneficial effect of omega-3 fish oil during pregnancy for respiratory health in children 3-5 years of age. These oils metabolically programmed the immune system for better tolerance to allergenic substances during infancy and preschool years. Children who did not have optimal exposure to prenatal omega-3 oils experienced more respiratory concerns.

Omega-3 oils affect adult respiratory health too, as your lungs contain millions of alveoli or little air sacs that allow the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Omega-3 oils were found essential for normal respiratory function, immune-inflammation modulation, and keeping lung tissue flexible. However, when lung alveoli cells and their cell membranes had higher content of omega-6 relative to omega-3, there was greater amounts of several inflammatory cytokines released in the lung tissues.

Gut-Immune Health

EPA and DHA omega-3 oils play an enormous role in gut-immune health. The first of its kind study published in 2019 showed that omega-3 levels in the blood stream positively correlated with the abundance of the Bifidobacterium healthy gut flora. It was found that low dietary intake of omega-3 led to adverse changes in the gut microbiome and decreased levels of beneficial Bifidobacteria. In this study, omega-6 oils showed no beneficial effects on the gut microbiome.

Other findings show that EPA and DHA down regulate pro-inflammatory mediators like LPS toxins and IL-17 from non-beneficial flora in the gut and food. These oils also support the natural production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are critical for gut barrier integrity. EPA and DHA intake increases beneficial bacteria and improves thickness and health of the intestinal mucosal barrier. They also offset the inflammatory effect of alcohol intake that leads to gut dysbiosis and breakdown.

A Quick Note about All Nerve Tissues

One more thing… It is of highest importance to also understand that all your nerve tissues require omega-3 DHA. Some of the highest content of DHA is found in your nerves, cell membranes, retina, and vision centers in your brain. Omega-3 DHA is required for these tissues to do their job and protects them from cellular stress. This affects your vision and eye health, memory, cognitive function, and all aspects of your brain health. Other oils cannot provide the same results or be used to replace DHA.

Is Your Omega-3 EPA/DHA Adequate?

Omega-3 oils affect so many different aspects of health. Without them, your tissues become very stressed and “starve” for these oils. Your gut microbiome shrinks and the intestinal mucosal barrier breaks down. Your lung tissues become stiff.

Cellular inflammation increases, affecting immune health and tolerance to foreign substances. Eyesight changes. Memory and focus falters. Metabolism and weight, blood sugar, heart health, fatty liver build-up, brain health, sperm health, and numerous other metabolic functions are adversely affected from insufficient omega-3 EPA/DHA intake. Are you supplying your body with enough omega-3 EPA and DHA?

Intake Recommendations

The US Government Adequate Intake (AI) for omega-3 ALA, DHA and EPA is:

• Birth to 12 months: 0.5 grams/day

• 1-3 years: 0.7 grams/day

• 4-8 years: 0.9 grams/day

• 9-13 years: 1.0 -1.2 grams/day

• 14 years and older: 1.1 -1.6 grams/day

This recommendation assumes that you are healthy and do not have high omega-6 intake relative to omega-3 oils, and that you regularly consume omega-3 oils. Remember that omega-3 plant-based oils have a poor conversion rate of only 15% into EPA/DHA. Here are some common food sources with the amounts per serving.

Did you reach the recommended level for EPA and DHA intake for today? You must supplement with these oils if you do not achieve a satisfactory intake.

High Purity Omega-3 Supplements

If you need supplemental omega-3 support, consider Daily DHA, DHA Kids, or Leptinal. These products contain molecularly-distilled, mercury-free fish oil high in DHA with a modest amount of EPA.

Our DHA fish oil is in the natural triglyceride form (TG). The TG form of fish oil is more bioavailable than ethyl esters (EE). The triglyceride form is easier for the body to digest and absorb. The triglyceride form is a more stable form of fish oil that will not oxidize in the capsule. This means no "fishy taste" or burping of fish oil and better DHA uptake into cells.

Daily DHA contains 582 mg of mercury-free marine lipid oil per capsule. This provides 250 mg of the highly desirable DHA omega-3 oil and 35 mg of EPA per capsule. We use this same quality DHA fish oil in Leptinal and DHA Kids. Daily DHA is also in the Daily Super Pack.

DHA and EPA are needed every day. Did you reach the goal for the long-chain PUFAs today or this week? Be proactive today. Your health tomorrow depends on it!