Alright, let’s talk about nutrient deficiencies, specifically omega-3. This one’s a big deal — about 80% of people worldwide, and a whopping 90% of Americans, aren’t getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. That’s almost everyone! And omega-3s are foundational for our health. They make up your cell membranes, they’re essential for your brain and nervous system, and they play a major role in regulating inflammation throughout the body.
There’s a researcher named Dr. Bill Harris who’s done a ton of work on this. He focuses on something called the omega-3 index. What is that? It’s a measure of the omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA, in your red blood cell membranes. It’s a really reliable way to see what your body’s actually storing over time.
Here’s where it gets interesting: People with a high omega-3 index, which means 8% or higher, actually live about five years longer, on average, than people with a low index, which is around 4%. For reference, most Americans are sitting at about 5%. That’s not great. At Function Health Labs, this is something we measure regularly, and the difference is honestly pretty striking.
If you look at Japan, it’s a totally different story. People there eat a lot of seafood, so their average omega-3 index is around 10% — way above typical U.S. levels. Now, I know some of you might be thinking about mercury in fish, especially for pregnant women. There used to be a lot of concern about that, and for a while, doctors even told expectant mothers to avoid fish entirely. But more recent studies show that omega-3s actually protect developing brains from mercury’s harmful effects. In fact, children born to mothers with both higher omega-3 and higher mercury had higher intelligence scores. So it’s the omega-3 that’s the real game-changer there.
And just as a side note, in Japan, people also eat a lot of seaweed, which helps the body get rid of heavy metals. Green tea and garlic help too. So their traditional diet kind of covers all the bases.
Dr. Harris looked at massive population studies, including smokers and non-smokers. Here’s the wild part: smokers who had high omega-3 levels had the same mortality rate as non-smokers with low omega-3 levels. Now, let me be crystal clear — this doesn’t mean you should take fish oil and light up a cigarette! It just shows how serious omega-3 deficiency is. If you’re not getting enough, your risk of dying early is about the same as if you were a smoker.
So, in the U.S., that means about 90% of us are in that higher risk category, just from not getting enough omega-3.
And there’s plenty of research showing that omega-3s are great for your heart. They lower triglycerides, so much so that there are prescription versions out there, although you’ll pay a lot more for those compared to just a regular supplement. Omega-3s also help lower inflammation, which is a major driver of aging — in your brain, your heart, all over. Honestly, aside from exercising, making sure you get enough omega-3s might be the single most powerful thing you can do to reduce inflammation and support your long-term health.
So if you remember one thing from today: get your omega-3s up. Your body — and your future self — will thank you.