Most people have heard omega-3s are good for you — they’re the healthy fats in fish that help with everything from keeping your heart strong to lifting your mood. But the bad news is, according to a new report, 85 percent of the world isn’t getting enough of them, and the ones we are getting aren’t always clean.

Timothy Ciesielski, a public health expert, says this shortage isn’t just about skipping salmon at dinner. It’s about how our entire global food system, packed with processed foods and too many omega-6 fats (the inflammatory kind), is substantially out of balance.

Without sufficient omega-3s, the body will suffer the effects of inflammatory ailments impacting skin, joints, mood, fatigue and cardiovascular issues.

Plus, climate change is messing with ocean ecosystems, overfishing is draining our fish supply and pollution is tainting many seafood sources.

Even popping omega-3 pills isn’t a magic fix.

Ciesielski says we need a food and environmental makeover, which means more sustainable omega-3 sources, fewer junk fats and a fresh look at how we treat our oceans and our plates.

This isn’t just a health problem — it’s a wake-up call for the whole planet.

The paper appears in AJPM Focus.

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