Dear Friends,
A few months ago, I wrote a letter on omega-3s and brain health where we reviewed how important EPA and DHA are for the structure and function of the brain.
Since then, a new study has been published that gives us a great opportunity to revisit that topic — and take it a step further.
What makes this study especially interesting is that it doesn’t just look at omega-3 intake. It looks at omega-3 blood levels, and how those levels relate to the earliest stages of age-related cognitive decline.
And the takeaway is both simple and powerful.
The study, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, found that people with higher omega-3 blood levels had a significantly lower risk of early-onset cognitive decline, often considered an early biological stage that often precedes dementia.
For clarity, early-onset typically refers to changes occurring before age 65, but the bigger point here isn’t age labels — it’s biology.
Brain changes don’t suddenly appear one day. They develop gradually, over decades.
Long Term Omega-3 Status is Key
This study reinforces an idea I suggested in the previous letter:
Brain health requires a long-game strategy – and omega-3s are some of the best teammates to have on your side.
What sets this research apart is that it didn’t rely on food questionnaires or supplement surveys. Those studies can be useful but have inherent limitations.
Instead, researchers measured omega-3 levels in the blood, giving a much more accurate picture of what the brain is actually being exposed to over time.
This matters because eating fish occasionally isn’t the same as maintaining healthy omega-3 levels and taking fish oil inconsistently doesn’t guarantee results.
The brain responds to long-term status, not short-term intake.
Which brings us to a key concept – the Omega-3 Index, which we have spotlighted before as the best marker for determining if your omega-3 consumption is adequate.
The omega-3 index measures the amount of EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes.
Why does that matter?
Red blood cells turn over slowly — about every 3 to 4 months — so this test reflects long-term omega-3 status, not what you ate yesterday.
What Should Be Your Target?
Here’s the key finding from this new study and other research:
An omega-3 index above 8% is associated with better brain health and a lower risk of age-related cognitive decline.
Unfortunately, most people never reach and sustain 8%. In Western populations, the average omega-3 index is often around 4 to 5%.
Even people who “take fish oil” frequently fall well below the 8% range because of:
- Under-dosing
- Inconsistent use
- Low DHA and EPA intake
- Poor absorption
- Low-quality fish oils
This study helps explain why some people see meaningful benefits from omega-3s — and others don’t.
It’s not about whether you take them. It’s about whether you reach and maintain a protective level.
In case you don’t know, DHA is a major structural fat in the brain, especially in neuronal membranes. But EPA is also critical.
EPA helps support a healthy inflammation response in the brain, promote blood flow and vascular health and influence signaling pathways that affect cognition.
Healthy brain aging depends on both DHA and EPA.
This is why we believe balanced formulations matter — not just “high DHA” or “high EPA” alone.
What About Genetics?
Some people also wonder whether genetics override all of this.
You may have heard about genes like APOE4, which are associated with higher risk of cognitive decline.
Here’s the simple takeaway: genetics may influence risk, but they do not determine destiny.
Even in people with genetic risk factors, lifestyle and nutrition (including omega-3 status) play a meaningful role in how that risk expresses over time.
This study reinforces that modifiable factors still matter, even when genetics are part of the picture.
The Right Supplement Can Make a Big Difference
When it comes to fish oil supplements, we believe the absorption of the EPA and DHA matters more than labels or form.
You’ll often hear discussions about triglyceride form of fish oil versus ethyl ester form.
The triglyceride form can offer about a 1.3-times improvement in absorption compared to basic ethyl esters.
That’s helpful — but it’s not the whole story, as you can do much better.
In TrueOmega-3, we use the AquaCelle® delivery system, which has been shown to deliver up to 6.0x greater bioavailability compared to standard oil forms.
That’s not a small difference. That means you can raise your omega-3 index faster — and just as importantly, keep it there — with a supplement that dramatically improves EPA and DHA absorption.
Because again, the goal isn’t swallowing capsules — it’s raising and sustaining omega-3 blood levels.
As mentioned, one of the most empowering things about omega-3s is that you can actually measure your status.
Companies like OmegaQuant offer well-respected omega-3 index testing, allowing people to establish a baseline, adjust intake if needed, and confirm they’re in a protective range.
This turns omega-3s from a guessing game into a measurable strategy.
Put The Odds More in Your Favor
Now to be clear, this new study doesn’t tell us that omega-3s are a cure for cognitive decline.
It’s about shifting odds more in our favor to help our bodies age better, and extend our health-span, and quality of life.
This study indicates that maintaining a healthy omega-3 index — especially above 8% — was strongly associated with better brain aging outcomes.
Brain health isn’t about reacting to problems later in life. It’s about supporting the brain decades earlier, while cells are still resilient and adaptable.
We believe that this new research adds weight to the idea that omega-3s aren’t just “nice to have” — they’re a foundational nutrient for long-term cognitive health, when used properly.
That means getting enough EPA and DHA in a form your body can absorb and ingesting it consistently so your body can best use it.
This study reinforces something we’ve been saying for years — when it comes to omega-3s, blood levels matter more than labels, and consistency matters more than trends.
And that’s where products designed to help you reach and stay in a healthy omega-3 index range really matter.
Yours for Good Health,
Carl Pradelli
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