{"id":72,"date":"2026-08-04T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/proresolve-dev.local\/es\/blog\/omega-3-vs-spm-differences\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:00:00","slug":"omega-3-vs-spm-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/proresolvespms.com\/es\/en\/noticias\/omega-3-vs-spm-differences\/","title":{"rendered":"Omega-3 and SPM: How They Differ and Why It Matters for Your Joints"},"content":{"rendered":"

No, they are not the same thing.<\/strong> Omega-3 supplements provide EPA and DHA, the fatty acids your body uses to produce Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPM). However, converting omega-3 into these specialised molecules is a complex, tightly regulated biological process, so increasing your omega-3 intake does not necessarily translate into greater SPM production. Lipinova®<\/sup> supplies SPM directly, providing the bioactive molecules involved in the natural process of inflammation resolution.<\/p>\n

If you have ever looked into how to care for your joints, you will have come across both of these terms. They sound similar, they appear on the same labels and plenty of people use them interchangeably. They are not the same, and understanding why can save you months of trying products that do not do what you expected.<\/p>\n

One note before we start: SPM here stands for Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators. In Spanish the acronym happens to be shared with premenstrual syndrome; the two have nothing to do with each other.<\/em><\/p>\n

The difference, in one sentence<\/h2>\n

Omega-3 is like the ingredients of a recipe. SPM are the finished dish. Having the ingredients in the cupboard matters, but it does not mean the dish is going to cook itself.<\/p>\n

Your body has to transform omega-3 into SPM through a complex, tightly regulated biological process. That is why consuming more omega-3 does not guarantee greater SPM production. Lipinova®<\/sup> SPM supplies SPM directly, giving the body the bioactive molecules involved in the natural resolution of inflammation without depending on that conversion step.<\/p>\n

What omega-3 is and what it does in your body<\/h2>\n

Omega-3s are a type of essential fat. \u00abEssential\u00bb literally means your body cannot make them and has to get them from outside \u2014 from oily fish, certain algae or a supplement.<\/p>\n

EPA and DHA: the two fatty acids that matter here<\/h3>\n

Within the omega-3 family the two main players are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), found above all in oily fish. They are what your body uses to make SPM.<\/p>\n

There is a third one, ALA, which is plant-based and found in flaxseed, chia and walnuts. Your body can convert it into EPA and DHA, but it does so with very low efficiency. That is why, when omega-3 and inflammatory processes come up, the conversation almost always revolves around EPA and DHA.<\/p>\n

Why taking more omega-3 does not mean producing more SPM<\/h3>\n

A conventional fish oil provides EPA and DHA in unconverted form. It is a good source of omega-3 with recognised benefits, particularly for the maintenance of heart and brain function. But for those fatty acids to take part in the resolution of inflammation, the body has to convert them into SPM, and that conversion is a complex, tightly regulated process.<\/p>\n

And it is not always efficient. Ageing, stress, an unbalanced diet, lifestyle or a sustained inflammatory background can all reduce the body’s capacity to produce SPM. So even with a high omega-3 intake, production of these molecules can fall short (Calder, 2020; Chiang et al., 2020).<\/p>\n

Lipinova®<\/sup> SPM works differently: it supplies SPM directly, in the required dose, without depending on the body having to produce them from omega-3.<\/p>\n

What SPM are and why everyone is talking about them<\/h2>\n

SPM (Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators) are molecules your body produces. They were first described just over two decades ago at Harvard University, in the work of Professor Charles N. Serhan, and they overturned an idea everyone had taken for granted: that inflammation simply faded away on its own, by exhaustion.<\/p>\n

It turns out it does not. Inflammation is not switched off, it is resolved \u2014 and that resolution is an active process with its own signals and its own messengers. SPM are those messengers.<\/p>\n

Resolvins, protectins, maresins and lipoxins<\/h3>\n

Under the \u00abSPM\u00bb umbrella there are four large families of molecules, each with its own role:<\/p>\n