Omega 3 fatty acids, inflammation and DNA methylation: an overview

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are known to be anti-inflammatory and to alter gene expression within the cells. Emerging evidence indicates that one of the mechanisms for this process involves the alteration of epigenetic markers, such as DNA methylation. The focus of this overview is to document the current evidence for n-3 PUFA effects on DNA methylation and how these may impact on the inflammatory processes.