Omega 3 Benefits for Women: What You Should Know

From adolescence to adulthood, through pregnancy and menopause, a woman’s body undergoes some of the most substantial and biologically intricate changes humans can experience. The body does a great job of taking care of itself during each phase, but there’s always something we can do to support our health and increase our wellness. 

One way to support a woman’s body is by making certain that her daily recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids is within a normal range. While most women get the amount of omega-3 they need through their diets, some may benefit from supplementation. 

We’ll cover what omega-3 is, how it benefits women’s health, and whether or not there’s a better option. 

What Is Omega-3?

Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid. Discovered over 90 years ago, researchers determined that numerous bodily processes depend on omega-3 fatty acids, but the body itself cannot make them. 

That means we must get them through our food or supplements. Getting enough omega-3 isn’t usually a problem for people who consume a typical American diet. 

Omega-3 is found in fatty fish like mackerel, sardines, anchovies, salmon, and herring. It can also be found in plant-based foods like soybeans, chia seeds, and cooking oils (like flaxseed and canola). Even if your oily fish consumption is pretty low, you’re likely still getting plenty of omega-3. If you aren’t sure, your healthcare provider can find out by blood test. 

What Does Omega-3 Do for the Body?

Omega-3 has the benefit of being one of the most highly researched fatty acids available. The beneficial effects of omega-3 are well established, and it’s clear the health benefits of omega-3 are necessary for our bodies to thrive. Here are some of the ways omega-3 fats support our overall health. 

Heart Health

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of Americans. We know that omega-3 has long reigned as a heart-healthy fat, and there are a few reasons why. 

1. Omega-3 intake plays a role in regulating the amount of triglycerides (or fats) in your blood. High triglycerides increase a person’s risk of developing high LDL cholesterol and reducing levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol. This can also increase the risk of heart disease. 

1. Omega-3s can help reduce the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat developed as a complication of atherosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries. 

These are valuable benefits supporting heart health and protecting against heart disease that could lead to heart attacks or strokes, but it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Omega-3 supplements often contain other ingredients, like vitamin A. This is especially true of fish oil supplements. Krill oil, for example, is extremely high in vitamins A and E.

Eye Health

Many studies support that omega-3 is essential for eye health, especially in early prenatal development. Once outside the uterus, the majority of research points to omega-3 as beneficial for reducing dry eye. 

As for whether or not omega-3 will reduce risk factors for early onset macular degeneration and other age-related eye issues, we’ll have to wait and see (pun intended). More research is needed to determine whether or not omega-3 has any effect on these conditions. 

Brain Health

Cognitive decline is concerning for everyone. In the UK, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease represent the two leading causes of death. 

Research into omega-3’s effects on mental health has increased. Still, thus far, it appears that the most reliable research shows that there is a link between lower circulating levels of omega-3 fatty acids and depression. There’s no clear evidence that increasing omega-3 levels in the average person will prevent dementia or cognitive decline. 

Omega-3 Benefits for Women’s Health

Of course, women can benefit from the aforementioned benefits, but omega-3 also offers health benefits specific to the female body, particularly during pregnancy and possibly during menopause.

Pregnancy

The need for omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy is well established. Docosahexaenoic acid, or “DHA,” is a type of omega-3 that is important for brain and eye development in a growing baby. 

A baby needs DHA in utero and up to 18 months after birth. Dietary or supplemental omega-3 is also important for breastfeeding due to the baby’s continued need for DHA. This is why most infant formulas are now fortified with DHA. 

Omega-3 may also benefit pregnant women’s mental health, helping to reduce the symptoms of depression and postpartum depression. 

Postmenopausal Women

After menopause, estrogen levels drop, which can lead to an array of changes in a woman’s health, including hot flashes, mood changes, and osteoporosis. Triglyceride levels may also increase during menopause, and omega-3 can help support better regulation of those levels to help protect against heart problems. 

Some research has indicated that omega-3 supplementation can help with both perimenopausal symptoms and postmenopausal symptoms. There are claims that omega-3 can reduce menstrual pain, improve sleep, and even reduce the number of vasomotor symptoms a woman experiences. 

However, a meta-analysis of nine studies showed only a mild improvement in hot flashes and night sweats with omega-3 supplementation and no definitive improvements in sleep. Although some mental health improvements were noted, they were also deemed inconclusive. 

Joint Health

Osteoporosis, or the thinning of the bones, increases with age and is especially prevalent after menopause. A meta-analysis of six studies concluded that omega-3 could positively impact pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. 

Still, the researchers were quick to note that the studies were limited, the dosage of omega-3 ranged dramatically, and the baseline characteristics of the participants were so highly varied that this would not offer much reliable research for clinical guidance.

While omega-3 has some benefits, it also has some side effects. 

Risks of Taking Omega-3 for Women

Taking a fish oil supplement is generally considered safe, and most side effects are mild, but there are some alarming facts to consider before you begin an omega-3 supplement. 

Dosage

In studies showing the benefits of omega-3, the participants usually take high doses of omega-3, between 2,000-3,000 milligrams per day. At high doses, omega-3 can lead to problems with blood clotting, bruising, and excessive bleeding if an injury were to occur. 

Rancidity

Independent researchers found that out of 60 bottles of omega-3 fatty acid supplements, one in 10 were rancid on store shelves before they were even purchased by consumers. If these products are rancid in the bottle, they will be rancid in your body. 

Fishy Taste

Because most omega-3 supplements contain a mixture of fish oils, you’ll almost never be able to escape the fishy aftertaste. Even so-called burpless formulas are known to have a fishy aftertaste that is recognizable and doesn’t go away.

Questionable Ingredients

High-quality omega-3 formulas are usually more meticulously formulated, but many omega-3 supplements contain ingredients that are added to make them more shelf-stable and prevent them from oxidizing. Depending on the type of fish oil used in the supplement, they may also be very high in other vitamins and minerals your body does not need. 

An Interesting Plot Twist

There’s an interesting fact about omega-3 that often goes overlooked. Only one omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is considered essential. Both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA are not essential. However, the majority of the beneficial health research focuses on the benefits of EPA supplementation explicitly without DHA. 

It’s interesting because most omega-3 supplements contain both EPA and DHA or a combination of all three. If only one is essential, we don’t necessarily need to supplement with all three, especially considering we are likely getting our recommended daily allowances through our diets. 

A Better Fatty Acid

There’s a better way to support your health with a fatty acid that is completely fish-free and has only one known side effect: less snacking between meals. It’s pentadecanoic acid, also known as C15:0, and science supports that it has more cellular benefits and is safer for your cells than omega-3.

What Is C15:0

C15:0 is an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid that was discovered by a team of scientists studying healthy aging and longevity in bottlenose dolphins. They discovered that dolphins with less age-related illnesses had a higher circulating level of this fatty acid in their bodies. They then studied if the same benefits could be seen in humans and published their findings in Nature’s Scientific Reports in 2020. Here’s what they found.

C15:0 does a better, broader, and safer job supporting your health than omega-3. 

• Better. C15:0 had 36 clinically relevant benefits, which was 3 times more than the highest-performing, purest omega-3. Further C15:0 supports cholesterol homeostasis, balances immune function and supports glucose homeostasis. At the cellular level, C15:0 supports mitochondrial function within your cells (up to 45%) and helps repair cell membranes, strengthening them by up to 88%.*

• Broader. Out of 12 different cell types (including cells involved with immunity, gut, heart, lung, joint, skin, and red blood cell health), C15:0 was able to repair all types. Omega-3 only safely repaired four. 

• Safer. C15:0 isn’t just safe for your cells; it actually supports cellular health. Out of 12 cell systems studied, C15:0 safely supported all 12 of them at all concentrations tested. Omega-3 was toxic to four out of the 12 systems, killing cells when tested at higher doses. 

Where To Find C15:0

C15:0 is found primarily in whole dairy products like whole milk and full-fat butter. Those products contain C15:0, but they also contain a large amount of sugars and bad, even-chain saturated fats that are consistently associated with poorer health. 

It also involves, well, cows. That doesn’t make it a very vegan-friendly option and won’t help you reduce your overall carbon footprint. 

A solution? Fatty15. Fatty15 is the first and only supplement to contain pure C15:0. Specifically, fatty15 contains a pure, vegan-friendly, sustainably-produced, award-winning powder form of C15:0 called FA15. Fatty15 provides you with just the good fat and no unhealthy fats. 

It also cuts out the middle moo (no cow involvement). At just one calorie per dose, that’s a healthy way to support your body without risking any detriment to your health. 

It’s a Woman’s World

Supporting women’s health is paramount, and omega-3 is essential to female diets. However, most women will get the omega-3 support they need from dietary sources alone and may not need to take an omega-3 supplement. Instead, women can take fatty15, a supplement that contains the essential, essential fatty acid. 

Getting enough C15:0 in your diet and supporting your long-term health just got a lot easier. Fatty15 makes it easy for you to stay healthy and feel well during every phase of your life. 

Sources:

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation During Pregnancy | PMC

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in prevention and treatment of maternal depression: Putative mechanism and recommendation|PubMed

Effects of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Intake on Vasomotor Symptoms, Sleep Quality and Depression in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review

Revealed: many common omega-3 fish oil supplements are ‘rancid’ | The Guardian

Deaths registered in England and Wales: 2022 | ONS.gov.uk

Diet quality and depression risk: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies | PubMed

Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential? | Scientific Reports

A review of odd-chain fatty acid metabolism and the role of pentadecanoic Acid (c15:0) and heptadecanoic Acid (c17:0) in health and disease | PMC