Omega-3 is an essential acid that cannot be made from the body. It is found in many foods such as plant oils, nuts, flaxseeds and seafood. They are an important component of cell membranes and are associated with a lower risk of various diseases.
In a pilot study published in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and essential fatty acids, researchers provided the first pieces of evidence that people with higher levels of omega-3 in their blood may be at a lower risk of dying from COVID-19.
In a conversation with two of the lead authors, William Harris, PhD, professor of internal medicine at the University of South Dakota and Michael Myers, MD, a physician at Los Alamitos Medical Center, they discuss the important findings from their study.
“What we found was that people in the top quartile of Omega-3s died, 1 person, and in the bottom 3 quarters, 13 people died,” Harris said. “When we did the statistics, we found that it was not statistically significant by standard measurements, but it was very close.”
“It’s very likely that it’s true, we’re working on a bigger and more detailed study to confirm everything,” Myers said.