DPA omega-3: what do we know?

The critical role that long-chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids play in supporting human health is well-appreciated, yet most research has focused on eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). Less is understood about the links between docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5n-3) and optimal physiological function. Historically, DPA has been difficult to clinically study owing to its lower concentration in readily available fish oil products and the technical challenges of manufacturing purified DPA concentrates. However, this metabolic intermediate of EPA and DHA is similarly abundant in human tissues, and existing research demonstrates its importance to human health.

This session will provide an overview of this forgotten long-chain n-3, including dietary sources, lipid lowering effects, and DPA’s role in regulating inflammatory processes in the body via transformation to pro-resolving lipid mediators and other oxylipins. Specific topics of discussion will include grass-finished animal products and marine sources, results of randomized controlled trials of DPA supplementation in people with elevated triglycerides, potential implications of endogenous conversion of EPA to DPA, and the current state of the science on the role of DPA’s oxygenated metabolites in immune signaling.