76% of People Don’t Get Enough Omega-3 - And It Affects Your Brain | Philip Calder
Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition
How omega-3s resolve inflammation
Philip uses the fire brigade/firewall analogy to explain EPA/DHA-derived mediators that actively resolve inflammation.
Exciting news - pre-order my debut book
Did you know that 76% of the world is failing to meet even the minimum intake of Omega-3?. It’s a staggering number that honestly stopped me in my tracks. We often hear about "healthy fats" in a vague way, but when you realize we are living in a global deficit crisis, it changes how you look at your dinner plate. This isn't just a "nutrition fact", it is a fundamental building block of our health that most of us are simply missing.
I’m joined by Professor Philip Calder, a world-leading expert in nutritional immunology. He has spent decades researching how what we eat literally communicates with our immune system, and today, he’s breaking down the science of Omega-3 in a way that is so practical and easy to understand.
Here’s What We Dive Into:
- The Global Omega-3 Deficit: Why 76% of the world is failing to meet basic requirements and what that means for our long-term health.
- Fire Brigade vs. Firewall: A genius analogy to help you understand how Omega-3s actually "put out the fire" of inflammation rather than just masking the symptoms.
- The Truth About Intake: Why the government recommendation of 450mg might not be enough, and why Philip suggests aiming for at least 1g a day.
- Silent Inflammation: Understanding the "low-grade" inflammation that could be happening in your blood vessels or brain without you even knowing it.
- Cognitive Health & Alzheimer’s: The deeply personal connection between fatty acids and protecting our brains as we age.
- The "Dimmer Switch" Effect: How Omega-3 acts as a specialized mediator to resolve inflammation and return your body to balance.
Love,
Sarah Ann 💛
***
This episode is sponsored by:
NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker
Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today
15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/
Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.
Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.
15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell
***
The Great British Veg Out
How to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-out
Reset Your Health
If your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start.
👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days
👉 Practical beats perfect.
Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.
https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahmacklin/p/download-your-free-5-recipes-to-relieve
👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who read
The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:
Dr. Zach Bush on Glyphosate, the Microbiome & What Modern Medicine Gets Wrong
***
Sign up to Sarah’s Compassionate Cure newsletter:
Science Simplified, Health Humanised.
Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.
https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/
***
Highlights
Highlights
Intro (00:00:00)
How Much Omega-3 Do You Actually Need Every Day? (00:01:47)
How Fatty Acids Put Out Internal Fires (00:09:40)
Omega-3, Brain Health, and Alzheimer’s (00:12:22)
How to Spot Misinformation Online (00:18:22)
Why You Should Avoid Omega 3-6-9 Supplements (00:24:23)
EPA vs. DHA Ratios: Which One Should You Prioritise? (00:30:19)
How Feed Affects Nutritional Value (00:38:14)
Balancing Risk vs. Nutritional Reward (00:43:43)
GLP-1 (Ozempic) Concerns (00:47:52)
Can Healthy Fats Prevent Muscle Loss? (00:51:44)
Why Home Cooking is the Ultimate Act of Self-Care (00:57:05)
The AI-powered Podcast Player
