Effect of Marine-Derived n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin 6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor α: A Meta-Analysis

Study answer

What this study found

Overall, marine-derived n-3 PUFA supplementation reduced fasting inflammatory markers, with the clearest benefit in chronic non-autoimmune disease, autoimmune disease, and healthy subjects. Supplementation significantly lowered CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α in chronic non-autoimmune disease; in healthy subjects it lowered CRP and TNF-α, with IL-6 showing only a marginal reduction. For dietary intake, a significant reduction was observed for IL-6 in chronic non-autoimmune disease, but not for CRP or TNF-α. Effects tended to be stronger with longer duration and smaller in obese individuals (BMI >= 30);…

Study & population

This meta-analysis included 68 studies with 4601 adults, spanning healthy individuals and patients with chronic non-autoimmune disease or chronic autoimmune disease.

Intervention

The intervention was marine-derived n-3 PUFA supplementation, typically fish oil providing EPA and DHA, with regimens ranging from 14 days to 12 months and total n-3 doses varying widely across included studies.

Key limitation

The included evidence was highly heterogeneous in population, dose, formulation, duration, and exposure source, which limits direct comparability across studies.

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Original abstract