Are omega-3s associated with fewer post-COVID-19 mental health conditions? Original paper

In this 1-year retrospective study, use of omega-3s was associated with a lower risk for depression, anxiety, and insomnia related to the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Whether omega-3 intake is associated with fewer post-COVID-19 psychiatric sequelae and other post-COVID-19 conditions.

The primary outcome was the risk of developing psychiatric sequelae (conditions that are the consequence of a previous disease or injury), including anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The secondary outcomes were other COVID-19-related conditions, including chest/throat pain, abnormal breathing, abdominal symptoms, fatigue, headache, myalgia, loss of taste/smell, cough, palpitations, and cognitive symptoms.

A total of 33,908 adults (average age of 47; 61% women, 39% men) who had tested positive for COVID-19 between March 2020 and July 2022.

Individuals who were treated with antiviral medications were excluded.

In this retrospective cohort study, the participants who reported using omega-3 fatty acids in the 6 months prior to a COVID-19 diagnosis were categorized as the omega-3 group, and those who did not report using omega-3s were categorized as the non-omega-3 group. The outcomes were assessed over a follow-up period of 90 days to 1 year.

The analyses were adjusted for confounders, including demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and comorbid conditions; furthermore, subgroup analyses based on age, sex, vaccination status, and race were also conducted.

In the omega-3 group, the risk of developing psychiatric sequelae was 20% lower than the non-omega-3 group. Specifically, the omega-3 group had a lower risk of depression (–17%), anxiety (–17%), and insomnia (–32%).

Furthermore, the omega-3 group had a lower risk of cough and myalgia compared to the non-omega-3 group, whereas there was no difference in the risk for other COVID-19-related conditions.

In the subgroup analyses, the risk for psychiatric sequelae was lower in the omega-3 group of adults aged 18 to 59 (but not 60 or older) and in adults with less than 2 doses of the vaccine (but not those with 2 or more doses).

This study used a statistical technique known as propensity matching, which ensures that baseline characteristics were matched between the omega-3 and non-omega-3 groups such that the outcomes were more likely to be due only to differences in the participants’ omega-3 use.

One limitation of this study is that the omega-3 dose wasn’t reported, so we don’t know whether there is a dose-response relationship between omega-3 use and the risk of post-COVID-19 conditions.