Omega-3: A valid support for blood pressure

Omega-3s are effective ingredients in supplements against high blood pressure. This is supported by sufficiently strong scientific evidence that led the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to approve the claim that EPA and DHA (marine-derived Omega-3s) help maintain normal blood pressure – with one condition: that they are provided in sufficiently high doses. Let’s discover how to lower blood pressure naturally thanks to these polyunsaturated fats, allies of cardiovascular health.

There is no shortage of medications for hypertension, but neither is there a shortage of people seeking alternatives perceived as more natural. The answer to their requests could come from supplements that lower blood pressure, and the ingredients in these products could be Omega-3s.

In fact, besides promoting good heart function and contributing to maintaining normal triglyceride levels, Omega-3s contained in fish or marine oil-based supplements (from fish, cod liver oil, krill, and microalgae) also exert another benefit for cardiovascular health: they can lower blood pressure.

According to a meta-analysis conducted by experts from the Center for Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Computational Biology at Exponent in Chicago and Boulder and Van Elswyk Consulting in Longmont (USA), published in the American Journal of Hypertension, the magnitude of this effect is equal to or even greater than that achievable by reducing alcohol and salt intake and increasing physical activity, and daily consumption of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – the two biologically active Omega-3s found abundantly in fish and marine oils – could help limit the use of medications for blood pressure control.

Hypertension: often caused by unhealthy lifestyles

According to data from the Italian National Institute of Health, high blood pressure (or hypertension) affects 50% of men and 40% of women in Italy aged between 35 and 74 years.

In most cases, it is caused by unhealthy lifestyles characterized by factors such as poor diet, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, smoking, and stress.

By itself, it does not cause obvious symptoms; only rarely, especially if it is a long-standing problem, can symptoms of high blood pressure include headache, visual changes, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

In any case, living with this silent enemy increases the risks for cardiovascular health. The probability of developing coronary artery disease, heart failure, and severe events such as stroke and heart attack increases, but not only that: the kidneys and eyes can also suffer from excessively high blood pressure.

Hypertension: when to worry

Blood pressure value is given by systolic and diastolic pressure. The former is measured when the heart contracts and pumps blood into the arteries, the latter when the heart relaxes and fills with blood. 

Pressure is considered high when systolic exceeds 140 mmHg and diastolic exceeds 90 mmHg; according to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH), values between 130-139 mmHg and 85-89 mmHg respectively represent a high-normal blood pressure range.

The optimal situation is when systolic pressure remains below 120 mmHg and diastolic below 80 mmHg.

Consulting a doctor is important in any case where high blood pressure is suspected or if, in the case of already diagnosed hypertension, the rare symptoms mentioned above appear; if the diagnosis is confirmed, the first advice will concern the need to change lifestyle.

Depending on the findings, the doctor may also decide to start pharmacological therapy immediately. However, the possibility of resorting to dietary supplements for blood pressure control cannot be excluded.

Omega-3 in blood pressure supplements: greater effects in hypertensive patients

The meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Hypertension examined 70 clinical studies conducted on adults who received EPA + DHA in the form of supplements or consumed fish for more than 3 weeks and on adults who received a placebo; some of the subjects involved had high blood pressure but were not taking medication, others had normal blood pressure. 

Compared to placebo intake, consumption of EPA and DHA caused an average decrease of 1.52 mmHg in systolic pressure and 0.99 mmHg in diastolic pressure. The most significant effects were observed in hypertensive adults, where the average decrease was 4.51 mmHg in systolic pressure and 3.05 mmHg in diastolic pressure; however, normotensive subjects also benefited from Omega-3 intake, showing a decrease of 1.25 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 0.62 mmHg in diastolic pressure. 

Focusing on studies that only included Omega-3 dietary supplements to reduce blood pressure, the authors of the meta-analysis reported a reduction of 1.75 mmHg in systolic pressure and 1.11 mmHg in diastolic pressure.

As mentioned, the results observed in hypertensive patients were the same or even greater in some cases than the effects of a healthy lifestyle; previous studies had shown that systolic pressure decreases by:

- 3.6 mmHg by reducing salt intake;
- 4.6 mmHg by increasing physical activity;
- 3.9 mmHg by reducing alcohol consumption.

These results have important clinical relevance: for every 2 mmHg increase in systolic pressure, the risk of mortality from ischemic heart disease or stroke increases by 7% and 10%, respectively.

How do EPA and DHA lower blood pressure?

According to researchers, the effect of Omega-3s on blood pressure is due to their ability to regulate the functions of the endothelium, the thin layer of cells lining the inside of blood vessels. 

This tissue plays a central role in regulating blood pressure, and several studies show improved endothelial function in response to EPA and DHA in subjects with hypertension and at risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Dietary supplements and blood pressure: how much Omega-3?

Taken together, the data analyzed by U.S. researchers indicate that intake of at least 2 g of EPA + DHA per day can reduce blood pressure with greater benefits among hypertensive individuals not using antihypertensive drugs; a lower dose (between 1 and 2 g per day) could reduce systolic but not diastolic pressure. 

According to EFSA guidelines, however, the dose of Omega-3 to be taken with supplements to lower blood pressure is higher, and the claim about the ability of supplements to lower blood pressure must be associated with the information that 3 g per day of EPA and DHA need to be taken.

And if you want to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol with supplements? Omega-3s can be combined with other active ingredients with cholesterol-lowering effects documented by scientific studies, such as the artichoke dry extract present in Cardiol® Forte. 

References:

European Commission. Food and Feed Information Portal Database. Last accessed: 06/17/25

Italian National Institute of Health. ISSalute. Hypertension or high blood pressure. Last accessed: 06/17/25

NutraIngredients USA. https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2014/03/07/Significant-clinical-impact-Meta-analysis-finds-omega-3s-equal-lifestyle-changes-for-blood-pressure-benefits/

Paige E. Miller, Mary Van Elswyk, and Dominik D. Alexander.  “Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid and Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Am J Hypertens (2014) doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpu024

Koshy A et al. Controlled hypertension: a forgotten diagnosis. Br J Cardiol 2017;24:127. doi:10.5837/bjc.2017.029