David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

Do women need more omega-3s during perimenopause and beyond?

29 May 2026 · 2 min

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In this brief video, Dr. David Perlmutter, a board‑certified neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition, explains why women going through perimenopause and postmenopause may benefit from higher omega‑3 supplementation. He notes that the body’s ability to convert plant‑derived alpha‑linolenic acid (ALA) into the long‑chain omega‑3s EPA and DHA diminishes during and after menopause. Additionally, cell‑membrane levels of EPA and DHA tend to fall around menopause, likely due to increased systemic inflammation. These two physiological changes, combined with women’s heightened vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease (women represent roughly two‑thirds of patients) and cardiovascular disease (the leading cause of death in women and an inflammatory condition), create a strong case for increasing omega‑3 intake during this life stage.

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Do perimenopausal and postmenopausal women require higher dosages of omega-3s? It's really an interesting question. I'm Dr. David Perlmutter. I'm a board-certified neurologist. I'm also a fellow of the American College of Nutrition. And as we talk about omega-3s and using supplements, I think it's important to recognize that the human body is in fact able, although minimally so, to convert plant-based ALA into the all-important EPA and DHA that we normally take as a supplement. That ability to convert ALA into EPA and DHA tends to decline at perimenopause and postmenopause, so that's one reason we might want to consider higher levels of supplementation. The other thing to consider is the cell membranes that are made up to some degree of EPA and DHA tend to show declining levels of EPA and DHA in and around menopause and thereafter. possibly because of increased inflammation. So for these 2 reasons, I think higher levels of omega-3 supplementation are certainly valuable perimenopause and postmenopause, especially when we consider that women are 2-to-1 Alzheimer's patients, number one, and number two, that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in women. That is an inflammatory issue, and that is certainly impacted quite readily by the availability of omega-3s in the human body.