The Evolution of Omega-3: Discover Bioactive SPM

If you’ve been taking fish oil to support your body’s response to physical stress, you may have come across a newer category: SPM supplements. Both come from marine omega-3 oils. They are not, however, doing the same job.

What fish oil actually does

A standard fish oil supplement provides two omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA. These are the raw material your body uses for a wide range of functions, including the production of the molecules involved in resolving inflammation.

The key word is raw material. EPA and DHA are precursors. Before they can support the resolution of an inflammatory response, your body has to convert them enzymatically into their active forms — the SPM.

That conversion happens, but it isn’t equally efficient in everyone. Age, diet, genetics and overall metabolic health all influence how well an individual makes that conversion.

Omega-3 is the starting point. SPM represent the next stage in the process.

Where SPM come in

Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPM) are the molecules at the end of that conversion. They include 18-HEPE, 17-HDHA and 14-HDHA, and they are what the body actually uses to bring an inflammatory response to a close and return to balance.*

Inflammation is not a malfunction. It’s a protective response that clears damaged cells and starts repair. But for recovery to be complete, that response has to be actively resolved, not simply suppressed. Pro-resolving mediators are what carry out that final step.*

An SPM supplement is concentrated and standardized to deliver those mediators directly, rather than supplying the precursors and relying on your body to convert them.*

So what is better than fish oil for inflammation?

It depends on what you’re asking the supplement to do.

Fish oil is a foundational supplement. If your goal is broad omega-3 intake for general wellness, it does that job at a low cost per serving.

SPM supplements are targeted. If your goal is specifically to support your body’s natural resolution of inflammation after exercise or physical stress, an SPM supplement works further down the same pathway and doesn’t depend on conversion efficiency.*

They aren’t mutually exclusive, and the honest answer is that neither is universally better. One is broad and foundational. The other is specific and targeted. What matters is matching the supplement to the outcome you’re after.

How fast does fish oil work for inflammation?

Fish oil does not provide an immediate effect. Because omega-3 fatty acids must first be converted by the body into specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM), the process may take time and can vary between individuals. In contrast, standardized SPM supplements provide these bioactive mediators directly. In the GAUDI I study (Möller et al.), participants taking Lipinova® SPM reported improvements in recovery-related outcomes over the course of the intervention.*

*GAUDI I (Möller I et al.).

Not all products labeled as SPM reflect the same level of scientific development.

To understand what sets the most advanced formulations apart, there are four key factors worth looking at.

Standardization in the actual markers.

A product should state its content of 18-HEPE, 17-HDHA and 14-HDHA on the supplement facts panel.

Research on the ingredient itself.

Many products reference the general body of research on SPM, which is extensive and comes from respected institutions. That’s not the same as research conducted on the specific ingredient in the bottle.

Independent batch testing.

Third-party verification confirms that the label matches the contents. For anyone subject to drug testing, sport-specific certification programs add screening for banned substances.

A fourth consideration is form.

Omega-3 oils are delivered either as ethyl esters or in triglyceride form. The triglyceride form of omega-3 is the form found naturally in fish and is generally better absorbed, without requiring a meal to aid uptake.

These four principles are the foundation of Lipinova®, the signature ingredient behind ProResolve®.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Fish oil gives your body the building blocks. SPM supplements deliver the finished mediators. If you want broad omega-3 support, fish oil covers it. If you’re specifically targeting your body’s resolution response after physical stress, a Lipinova® SPM supplement works at the point where that response is completed.*