Research
Hormonal
DHA improves endothelial function and arterial compliance more effectively than EPA, potentially through mechanisms involving membrane fluidity and nitric oxide release.
For vascular health, DHA is likely more beneficial than EPA. It helps improve how your blood vessels dilate and respond to stress, which may protect against atherosclerosis. Look for DHA-dominant supplements for these specific vascular benefits.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Early indications are that DHA might be more effective in improving EF... DHA, but not EPA, decreased vasoconstrictive responses to noradrenaline and increased vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine.
Why this rating
Evidence is mixed for office BP but strong for EF improvements with DHA; however, data on EPA is limited and often negative.
Source
The differential effects of EPA and DHA on cardiovascular risk factors
S Cottin et al. · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2011
DOI 10.1017/s0029665111000061
narrative_reviewCited 245×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Both EPA and DHA reduce fasting triglyceride levels, but DHA uniquely increases LDL and HDL particle size, which may offer additional cardiovascular protection.Good
- DHA supplementation significantly reduces blood pressure and heart rate, whereas EPA supplementation does not produce these specific hemodynamic effects.Moderate
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →