WHAT ARE SPMs? MY FAVORITE SUPPLEMENT FOR RESOLVING INFLAMMATION WITH KAREN HERB

We know inflammation is at the root of many chronic and ongoing conditions. If you're supporting clients who are stuck in an inflammatory cycle—persistent joint pain, autoimmune flares, post-viral symptoms, or neuroinflammation—there may be a missing step in their healing process: resolution.

This is where Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPMs) come into play.

As a functional nutritionist, SPMs have become one of my absolute favorite clinical tools—and supplements—because they don’t just suppress inflammation; they come at inflammation from a different angle and help the body actively resolve it.

What Are SPMs?

SPMs are lipid mediators derived from omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that initiate and accelerate the resolution phase of inflammation. Unlike NSAIDs or immunosuppressants that block inflammatory pathways, SPMs support the body’s innate healing processes—clearing cellular debris, promoting tissue repair, and returning the immune system to homeostasis. Think of them as the “clean up crew” after an inflammation party. This is different from the anti-inflammatory activity of EPA/DHA.

Why I Recommend SPMs in Practice

I consider SPMs when clients need a jump start as they are working on all the other foundations such as eating an anti-inflammatory diet, optimizing sleep, supporting gut health, etc. In some chronic or ongoing conditions, this extra inflammation resolution tool can be a real game changer and help push the needle in both acute care and ongoing foundational support..  

Who May Benefit From SPMs?

Consider SPMs for clients who are:

• Recovering from infections, surgery or inflammatory flare-ups

• Experiencing joint pain or autoimmune inflammation

• Dealing with post-exertional malaise or overtraining

• Navigating perimenopausal inflammation or painful periods/cramping

• Managing ongoing chronic inflammatory conditions such as metabolic/cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

  
  

Dosing and Clinical Use

Typical SPM dosing falls between 250–1000 mg/day, depending on clinical presentation. In practice, I often start clients on:

• 1000mg/day but may increase short term for acute relief to ~2000mg/day

• I always reassess after 3–5 weeks and taper or cycle as needed.

SPMs are especially useful in a phased approach—short-term use during active inflammation or recovery often at higher doses followed by lower maintenance dosing often paired with EPA/DHA as foundational support for those with chronic/ongoing inflammatory conditions .

SPMs vs. EPA/DHA: Do You Need Both?

Because SPMs are derived from EPA and DHA, it's logical to ask whether supplementing with fish oil is enough.

The answer is: not always.

While EPA/DHA are the precursors, SPMs are the active resolution-phase molecules. Conversion is often impaired by age, oxidative stress, nutrient deficiencies, and genetic variation. Supplementing with SPMs bypasses this bottleneck.

Important distinction:SPM supplements do not provide meaningful amounts of EPA or DHA. They offer downstream molecules like resolvins, protectins, and maresins—not the parent fatty acids.

For clients doing “everything right” but are still inflamed, SPMs can be the switch that moves them from stuck to resolving. They’re not about suppression—they’re about a healthier inflammatory response and clean up/resolution.

Want to learn more?  Check out some of these resources and studies to jump start your research rabbit hole:

1. Metagenics has a nice evidence and mechanism of action review on SPMs. 

2. Maliha, A., Tahsin, M., Fabia, T. Z., Rahman, S. M., & Rahman, M. M. (2024). Pro-resolving metabolites: Future of the fish oil supplements. Journal of Functional Foods, 121, 106439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2024.106439 

3. Möller, I., Rodas, G., Villalón, J. et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of treatment with an SPMs-enriched oil on chronic pain and inflammation, functionality, and quality of life in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: GAUDI study. J Transl Med 21, 423 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-023-04283-4

Karen Herb MS CNS LDN IFMCP

Karen Herb is a nutritionist, mentor and CNS Supervisor at TNHC. Karen has 7 years of experience as a clinical nutritionist focusing her practice on personalized nutrition, gut health, nutrigenomics and collaborative care in multiple Functional Medicine clinics. We invite you to learn more about Karen and meet the entire supervisor team serving our nutrition students. We are passionate about helping our students earn their supervised practice experience hours and CNS credential and launch fulfilling and successful nutrition careers. 

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