Omega-3 Supplements Linked to Decreased Aggression, Study Finds

People who regularly eat fish or take fish oil supplements are getting omega-3 fatty acids, which play a critical role in brain function. Research has long shown a basis in the brain for aggressive and violent behavior, and that poor nutrition is a risk factor for behavior problems.

According to a study published in Aggression and Violent Behavior, Omega-3 can modestly but significantly reduce aggression in children and adults.

There is growing interest in the use of nutritional supplements to ameliorate aggressive and antisocial behavior. In particular, omega-3 has been hypothesized as one nutritional component that could explain the link between poor nutrition and aggressive/violent behavior. Importantly, experimental research in humans based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has argued that omega-3 supplementation can reduce aggression in a wide variety of human populations.

The study analyzed 35 samples from 29 studies across 19 labs from 1996 to 2024, involving 3,918 participants. It found significant reductions in aggression during an average treatment period of 16 weeks, based on data from experimental and control groups. Only one lab conducted follow-ups after supplementation ended.

The meta-analysis showed that omega-3 reduced both reactive aggression, which is behavior in response to a provocation, and proactive aggression, which is planned.

The findings also showed that omega-3 may also have benefits for treating heart disease and hypertension, and it is inexpensive and safe to use.

"I think the time has come to implement omega-3 supplementation to reduce aggression. Omega-3 is not a magic bullet that is going to completely solve the problem of violence in society. Based on these findings, we firmly believe it can help, and we should start to act on the new knowledge we have,” said Adrian Raine, Penn neuro-criminologist.

"At the very least, we would argue that omega-3 supplementation should be considered as an adjunct to other interventions, whether they be psychological or pharmacological in nature, and that caregivers are informed of the potential benefits of omega-3 supplementation. We believe the time has come both to execute omega-3 supplementation in practice and also to continue scientifically investigating its longer-term efficacy.”

Reference: Raine, A., & Brodrick, L. (2024). Omega-3 supplementation reduces aggressive behavior: A meta-analytic review of randomized controlled trials. Aggression and Violent Behavior. doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2024.101956.