Omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties that are available as dietary supplements as well as in foods such as fish, might protect against declines in lung health, results from a 2-part study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.202301-0074OC) have shown. Higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the bloodstream—particularly the fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—were linked with a slower rate of lung function decline in a longitudinal analysis of data from 15 063 participants. Higher DHA levels were also associated with a lower likelihood of restricted airflow from the lungs. The study’s results highlight the importance of including dietary omega-3 fatty acids, particularly because most people do not meet the current guidelines of consuming at least 2 servings of fish per week, the US National Institutes of Health, which sponsored the study, wrote in a statement
