These fatty acids, often taken as fish oil supplements and known for supporting mental and physical well-being, may also help reduce aggression, according to a 2024 study.
Keep calm and try omega-3. This result did not appear out of nowhere. Omega-3 has previously been linked to a lower risk of schizophrenia, and aggression and antisocial behavior are thought to be partly influenced by poor nutrition. In other words, what we eat can affect our brain chemistry.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania built on earlier, smaller studies that had looked at the impact of omega-3 supplements on aggression. Their meta-analysis examined 29 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 3,918 participants. Across all these trials, they found a modest but clear short-term effect: up to a 28 percent reduction in aggression, regardless of age, gender, medical diagnosis, treatment duration, or dosage.
“I think the time has come to implement omega-3 supplementation to reduce aggression, irrespective of whether the setting is the community, the clinic, or the criminal justice system,”
neurocriminologist Adrian Raine when the meta-analysis was published. The trials included in the study, conducted between 1996 and 2024, lasted an average of 16 weeks. They covered a broad range of participants, from children aged 16 and under to adults in their 50s and 60s.
Summary: A comprehensive meta-analysis of 29 randomized controlled trials (n = 3,918) found that omega-3 supplementation can reduce aggression in the short term by up to 28%, with effects observed across ages and settings.
Author’s note: This synthesis highlights a potential nutritional approach to modulating aggression, underscoring the role of dietary fatty acids in brain chemistry and behavior.
Author’s résumé (120–200 characters): Synthesis of large-scale evidence on omega-3’s impact on aggression, emphasizing potential short-term reductions across diverse groups and settings.