Helping Hearts With Omegas

by Janet Poveromo | April 1, 2026

Fish, plant-based, 3, 6, 9—omegas have a role to play in heart health, and consumers are taking notice.

Regarding the chemical structure of omegas, all fatty acids have an even number of carbon atoms that are attached to each other in a chain. The beginning of the carbon chain is called the “alpha” end, and the opposite one is called the “omega” end. Omega-3s have 3 in their name because the first double bond of the molecule is located three carbon atoms away from the omega end. You can guess how omega-6s and omega-9s got their names.

How Do Omegas Benefit the Heart?

Omega-3s are well known for their benefits to heart health and other omegas play a role, too. Greg Cumberford, science lead with North Carolina-based Natures Crops International, said, “For most people on a Western diet, omega-3 fatty acids benefit heart health by lowering blood triglycerides, reducing chronic low-level inflammation in the body, improving cardiovascular function itself. Higher omega-3 status is widely recognized for supporting heart health and reducing risks of major cardiac events.”

Elana Natker, registered dietitian and GOED’s (Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s) vice president of communications, added, “Omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fat, which tend to be more beneficial for the heart (as opposed to trans fats and saturated fats, which are the worst for heart health). By their very nature of being highly unsaturated fats, they are better for cell membrane fluidity, meaning that more nutrients can get into cells.”

EPA (eicosapentaenoic) and DHA (docosahexaenoic) omega-3s are the ones most associated with heart health. Numerous studies have shown that EPA and DHA omega-3s:

• Reduce the risk of heart attack, including fatal heart attack.

• Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), including CHD death.

• Reduce triglyceride levels, particularly among those with elevated triglycerides (and thus at greater risk for heart disease).

• May help maintain healthy blood pressure.

Regarding plant-based omegas, Cumberford noted, “All omega-3s play a role in heart health. However, omega-3 SDA (stearidonic acid) converts to EPA about five to six times more effectively than ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). EPA is most strongly associated with lowering blood triglycerides and blood pressure, reducing systemic inflammation, helping prevent plaque buildup in arteries, thus reducing cardiac event risks.” He added, “Plant-based omega-3 sources rich in omega-3 ALA like Ahiflower, flax and chia oils play a complementary role in heart health along with conventional fish, krill and algal sources. Ahiflower oil is four times more effective than flaxseed oil in EPA conversion in humans.”

Considerations for Consumers

For consumers who want to try omega supplements, Natker said, “No one should begin any supplement routine without first consulting their doctor. That said, EPA and DHA omega-3s are among the most studied nutrients, with more than 50,000 published papers and 5,000 human clinical trials. Generally, people should be aiming for about 500 mg EPA and DHA per day, which they can get by eating fatty fish regularly and by taking a quality omega-3 supplement. Omega-3 supplementation is an inexpensive and accessible way to support overall health, including heart health, and with very few known risks.”

Cumberford noted the importance of how omegas address inflammation and therefore, longevity and health. He said, “Over time, systemic low-grade inflammation reduces health spans. Plant-based Ahiflower oil is effective in improving health spans because it improves a whole range of omega-3 and -6 anti-inflammatory pathways and biomarkers comparably or in some cases better than fish oil or algal DHA alone can do. Health practitioners tracking these inflammatory markers alongside conventional lipid panel measures, and advising their patients on holistic diet and lifestyle approaches, are helping people achieve far lower health care costs and far higher quality of life—before preventable heart disease sets in. Ahiflower oil’s recently recognized dual role in whole-body anti-inflammatory effects plus prebiotic and gut barrier integrity improvements sets it apart. Improving ALA, EPA and DPA levels from plant-based omega-3 intakes is readily achieved following a Mediterranean-style diet.”

As far as who would most benefit, Cumberford responded, “Healthy adults who want to look well, move well, and feel well over their health span journeys and whose diets have been low in omega-3s and/or high in omega-6 oils like soybean, corn, canola will benefit from improving their total omega-3 status. People with a history of poor heart health and/or cardiac events and/or with concurrent obesity, diabetes, and other signs of metabolic dysfunction should always consult a licensed health care physician to discuss their overall supplementation plans.”

What Are the Product Trends in This Category?

Long a staple in human nutritional supplements, omega products are also not immune to change and trends. Natker noted such areas: “Pet nutrition, including treats and supplements, was the omega-3 segment with the largest growth (8.8 percent) according to GOED’s most recent Finished Products Report in 2024. High concentrate omega-3 products, which have a higher amount of EPA and DHA per dose, while algal products have also evolved to be popular for consumers beyond just vegetarians or vegans,” she reported. “Additionally, consumer survey data tells us that people are increasingly interested in alternative formats, like chews and gummies.”

Another key trend is that omega-3-6-9 products are appealing to customers looking to improve overall omega intakes rather than consuming only EPA/DHA from fish or algal sources, according to Cumberford. Also, “dosing formats beyond soft gel capsules—powders, emulsions, and nutrient dense snack bars and bites—are making clean-tasting omega-3s more accessible to consumers. A big cultural shift is underway in heart healthy ‘pro-aging.’

“People are focusing on their health spans (quality of healthy, active aging) not just their lifespans (duration),” Cumberford added. “People are focusing pro-actively on foundationally supporting overall wellness and taking care of themselves earlier in life, not reactively waiting to put out fires of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease once it’s too late. As ingredients, omega-3 EPA/DHA from fish and algal sources have dominated the heart health category for decades. But recently, leading omega-3 research experts are showing that the human body’s capacity to form EPA and DHA endogenously into key tissues from omega-3 ALA and SDA ‘precursors’ is at least 10 times higher than previously thought. This changes everything when it comes to improving heart health through better omega-3 intakes.”

Cumberford added, “Ahiflower oil addresses root cause aspects of improving one’s health span—chronic low-grade inflammation, gut microbiome balance and mitochondrial function—all the while raising EPA levels and efficiently converting to DHA as the body requires. This sets Ahiflower apart. As a result, Ahiflower oil is now used as a functional complement with fish oil and/or algal DHA in best-selling mass market supplements like Member’s Mark Advanced Omega Complex and MegaFood (Pharmavite) Omega 3-6-9 to support heart health, with many more innovative product launches on the way in 2026.”

Ahiflower oil, he noted, is now recognized for its prebiotic gut microbiome balancing and gut barrier integrity activity and its capacity to reduce whole-body systemic inflammation markers.

To conclude, Natker noted that the omega-3 research is vast and promising. “As I mentioned before, EPA and DHA omega-3s are among the most studied nutrients. There are a lot of studies, but I hesitate to cherry pick individual studies and rather look at where the research seems to be going. I see a lot of consumer interest in brain-related outcomes, such as omega-3s and their role in Alzheimer’s disease or in helping manage attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” NIE