A new peer-reviewed review article in Integrative and Complementary Therapies is asking healthcare practitioners to reassess one of nutrition’s longest-standing assumptions: that plant-derived omega-3s convert too inefficiently to provide meaningful health benefits.
In the article, Patrick Hanaway, MD synthesises more than 120 scientific publications into practical clinical guidance at a time when nearly three-quarters of the world’s population does not consume enough omega-3s to meet minimum recommendations and growing demand is placing pressure on marine omega-3 supplies.
Drawing on advances in omega-3 metabolism research, Dr Hanaway concludes that emerging evidence points to a more complete picture of how the body produces, stores and utilises EPA and DHA from plant sources than conventional blood measurements alone have suggested.
The publication signals a possible shift in clinical thinking for physicians, dietitians, nutritionists and healthcare practitioners who rely on current evidence to guide patient recommendations.
Dr Hanaway is recognised as a pioneer of functional medicine, having served as founding Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and as an educator of clinicians worldwide.
At the centre of the review is a practical question: have plant-derived omega-3s been underestimated because research has focused too narrowly on blood DHA levels?
Newer analytical techniques allow researchers to track how omega-3s are produced, stored and used across tissues, including the liver, brain and adipose tissue, revealing a more dynamic system than previously understood.
The implications extend beyond academic research. Dr Hanaway’s review gives practitioners a broader framework for helping patients improve omega-3 status while supporting a more diverse and resilient global supply of these essential nutrients.
"These findings highlight a bigger view of omega-3 intake, metabolism, and storage across all tissues beyond the limitations of blood-based measures to assess omega-3 intake and status," said Dr Hanaway.
"This is particularly notable for vegans and vegetarians who do not consume EPA or DHA in their diets without supplementation."
Rather than positioning plant- and marine-derived omega-3s as competing solutions, the review presents a complementary approach.
Dr Hanaway highlights evidence that stearidonic acid (SDA), a plant-derived omega-3 found in high concentrations in Buglossoides arvensis seed oil, commercially known as Ahiflower, may contribute benefits through pathways that differ from conventional EPA and DHA supplementation.
Human and preclinical studies cited in the review report favourable signals related to gut microbiome balance, gut barrier integrity, inflammatory signalling, insulin sensitivity, hormonal balance and metabolic health.
“This publication advances the conversation,” said Andrew Hebard, founder and CEO of Natures Crops International.
“For years the industry has debated plant versus fish. Dr Hanaway’s review suggests the better question is how different omega-3 sources can work together to deliver broader health benefits while helping address the global omega-3 nutrition gap.”
As the nutrition industry searches for new ways to improve omega-3 status, the review provides a framework for understanding not only whether plant-derived omega-3s may be useful, but how they work and where they may fit alongside traditional EPA and DHA sources.
Further human outcomes research will help define the strength and clinical scope of these applications, but the publication marks a meaningful step in the evolving science of omega-3 nutrition.
