Role of OMEGA-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in COVID-19 Patients: A Narrative Review

Author(s): Zoia Akram, Alekhya Allenki, Sindhu Kishore, Dolly Ogwu, Olufunlola Titilayo Adefalu, Antonia Lisseth Valle Villatoro, Janet Adebukola Omole, Giass Uddin, Shwetha Gopal, Abdurrahman Mir Khan, Maham

Novel coronavirus 2019 (CoV-2019), also known as acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a pandemic in early 2020. Since then it has continued to spread unabated and has essentially crippled humanity. The nutritional status of a person plays a huge role in his defense against viral infections. Given the evidence of the beneficial effects of n3-PUFAs on the immune system, we aimed to examine the impact of omega-3 supplementation in patients with COVID-19 and gathered data from PubMed. Limited data is avaiable on the association between the two. We have discussed in detail the beneficial effects of n3-PUFAs on the immune system, focusing on their role in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Furthermore, we have also elaborated on the results of a RCT study aimed to see the association between PUFA use and COVID patients outcomes. We conclude that PUFA should be used as a supplementation in COVID patients. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the association.