Reconnect with your balance after the arrival of spring

Spring, often associated with the idea of "starting over," is the perfect time to rethink your diet — not in terms of restriction, but of mindful nutrition. Optimizing your Omega-3 intake can be one of those small changes that, over time, can help you achieve significant results. Because, at the end of the day, starting over doesn't mean "detoxing," but creating the conditions for your body and mind to function at their best — and Omega-3s can help you do just that. Here's how.

The hours of daylight increase, temperatures become milder, and nature awakens: it's spring, the season of rebirth. Yet facing this change of season can be truly challenging.

In more serious cases, we speak of Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD), a form of depression that typically manifests with the change of seasons. More common during the transition from summer to winter, SAD can also strike with the arrival of spring, but precisely because it is rarer, the spring form is also less studied. For this reason, its causes are not yet fully understood.

One of the hypotheses put forward to explain its onset focuses on the human body's ability to adapt its biological rhythms to greater availability of light and new daily habits. In particular, in those who deal with SAD, levels of melatonin — the molecule that facilitates sleep and that we produce when night falls — may be lower, and this would negatively affect rest; mood disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and a general sense of heaviness would be the natural consequence of this decline.

With this in mind, if your intention is to prepare for the arrival of spring, you must first of all try to optimize your rest. But there is also another lifestyle aspect you can actively work on: your diet. And among the most interesting nutrients to help you face this seasonal change are Omega-3s, which, thanks to their pronounced anti-inflammatory properties, support both your physical and mental wellbeing.

What are Omega-3s?

Omega-3s are fats naturally present in food. Land-based sources, such as walnuts and flaxseeds, provide them in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a nutrient essential for us since it cannot be synthesized by the human body and must therefore necessarily be obtained through food.

Marine sources, such as salmon and anchovies, provide them instead in the form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These are the biologically active Omega-3s — the ones the human body actually needs, but which it can produce from ALA with extremely low efficiency, and which it is therefore preferable to obtain preformed by eating fish rich in them.

Since the 1970s, scientific research has highlighted the role of EPA and DHA in numerous physiological processes: from those crucial for cardiovascular health to those useful for brain function, including the modulation of inflammatory responses.

These roles make them particularly useful during periods of seasonal transition, when, as mentioned, you may need to offer extra support to your body and mind.

Detoxing: the importance of Omega-3s for intestinal balance and against inflammation

Perhaps the idea of detoxing your body appeals to you. Many are convinced that to do so, specific diets or protocols are needed to eliminate toxins that inevitably accumulate in the body, but the reality is that your body, as it is, already has everything it needs to eliminate waste substances.

Your sophisticated detoxification systems include the liver, kidneys, intestines, lymphatic system, and lungs, and the best choice you can make to rid yourself of so-called toxins is to support their proper functioning.

From this perspective, Omega-3s are increasingly emerging as allies of intestinal flora balance — a balance that, through the so-called "gut-brain axis," is able to support not only intestinal wellbeing but also psychological wellbeing.

Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory properties of Omega-3s make them valuable allies against low-grade chronic inflammation — a fierce enemy of all organs. This silent, asymptomatic form of inflammation underlies many health problems; EPA and DHA help combat it both because they tend to counteract the formation of pro-inflammatory molecules, and because they are the precursors of substances that, like true firefighters, extinguish inflammation already underway (resolvins, protectins, and maresins). 

Moreover, the effects of Omega-3s on the intestinal microbiota also translate into an anti-inflammatory action:

• lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which proliferate thanks to these fats, inhibit pro-inflammatory factors;
• Blautia, Bacteroides, Roseburia and other microbes more abundant when we consume Omega-3s produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), allies of intestinal barrier integrity, and an intact intestinal barrier is an ally against inflammation;
• Akkermansia, which can increase precisely in the presence of Omega-3s, also promotes intestinal barrier health, while species harmful to its integrity (such as Ruminococcus and Oscillibacter spp.) decrease when we consume these fats;
• producers of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the endotoxin that, once in the bloodstream, triggers metabolic inflammation, also decrease in the presence of Omega-3s.
  

Finally, it appears that Omega-3s also act by directly inactivating lipopolysaccharide, combating inflammation in this way as well.

Recharging: energy for the brain

Alongside the desire to detox the body, the other need often expressed at the beginning of spring is to recharge. 

Omega-3s can also provide valuable support from this perspective. The brain is indeed rich in fats; among these, many are Omega-3s, especially DHA, which represents a fundamental structural component of neuronal membranes.

An adequate intake of DHA helps you maintain:

• the fluidity of cell membranes;
• the efficiency of nerve signal transmission;
• the balance between neurotransmitters (the messengers).
  

Several studies have suggested that EPA and DHA may have positive effects on cognitive functions, mood, and stress response, probably through mechanisms involving brain metabolism, neural plasticity, and, once again, inflammation.

In other words: nourishing your brain with the right fats can help you perceive a clearer and more responsive mind precisely when the season changes.

Restarting: heart and metabolism

Spring is also the time when people often decide to resume physical activity, improve their eating habits, and take better care of their health.

Omega-3s can support you on this journey thanks to their numerous beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, among which stand out:

• contributing to the proper functioning of the heart;
• promoting healthy blood triglyceride levels;
• supporting blood pressure control.
  

These effects make EPA and DHA interesting nutrients for those who, like you, wish to restart with a more active and mindful lifestyle.

Finally, some studies suggest that Omega-3s may play a role in improving insulin sensitivity; and, once again, their anti-inflammatory effects could be useful both for modulating inflammatory processes linked to metabolic syndrome (and therefore to excess weight and alterations in blood lipids and glucose) and for helping your muscles recover from physical activity.

Where to find Omega-3s

As mentioned, the main source of EPA and DHA is fatty fish such as mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herring, and salmon.

Guidelines suggest consuming fish 2–3 times a week, including at least one fatty variety per week. Blue fish, typical of the Mediterranean diet, represents one of the best options because it combines a good Omega-3 content with a relatively lower environmental impact compared to other species.

To obtain ALA, you can rely on walnuts, flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and chia seeds, but, as mentioned, the conversion of ALA into the biologically active forms EPA and DHA in your body is quite limited. For this reason, marine sources remain particularly important.

Omega-3s in spring: when might supplementation make sense?

Low fish consumption, vegetarian or vegan dietary preferences, increased requirements, or specific conditions (such as elevated triglyceride levels) can make it more difficult to reach optimal Omega-3 levels through diet alone.

If you recognize yourself in one of these cases, you might consider using supplements based on fish oil, cod liver oil, krill, or microalgae (sources of EPA and DHA), paying attention to a few aspects:

• the amount of EPA and DHA (not just total Omega-3s or oil);
• the degree of purity;
• the oxidative stability of the product;
• the chemical form in which EPA and DHA are present.
  

Do you have any doubts about these aspects? Ask us for advice: our experts are at your disposal to help you choose the most suitable product for your needs!

Bibliographic references:

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National Institute of Mental Health. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Last accessed: 19/03/26

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Zou B, Zhao D, Zhou S, Kang JX, Wang B. Insight into the effects of Omega-3 fatty acids on gut microbiota: impact of a balanced tissue Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio. Front Nutr. 2025 May 16;12:1575323. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1575323