A sore knee after a weekend hike can be annoying, but it makes sense. Your body sends extra blood flow, fluid, and immune cells to the area, and you feel heat and swelling. A few days later, it usually settles down.
But what if it doesn’t? Maybe your gums stay puffy for weeks, or your sinuses feel “low-grade” irritated all month. That’s when it helps to know a simple truth: inflammation isn’t only an on and off switch. The “off” part has its own biology.
Inflammation resolution is an active clean-up program, not just “waiting it out.” A key part of that program involves resolvins and other specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), which help the body stop the immune traffic jam, clear debris, and return tissues to normal. This is educational, not medical advice, and research is still evolving, but the basics can make day-to-day health choices easier to understand.
What “inflammation resolution” really means, and why it is different from blocking inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s short-term alarm system. When you cut your finger or catch a virus, the immune system sends signals that pull in white blood cells and helpful chemicals. The goal is simple: contain the problem, remove damaged material, and protect you.
Resolution is what comes next. Think of it as the organized clean-up and reset phase. It’s not the same as “anti-inflammatory” in the everyday sense. Lowering inflammatory signals can reduce pain and swelling, but resolution is about finishing the job in the right order, then restoring balance.
A helpful way to picture it is a neighborhood fire. The sirens and hoses are the early inflammatory phase. The firefighters need to show up fast. But you also need the clean-up crew, the inspectors, and the rebuild. If the sirens never stop, or if the clean-up team never arrives, the neighborhood stays stuck in chaos.
In the body, that “clean-up team” includes molecules that tell immune cells when to slow down, when to switch tasks, and when to leave. Scientists call many of these molecules specialized pro-resolving mediators, and they include resolvins, protectins, and maresins. They are produced in the body from certain fats, including omega-3s, during an immune response. A widely cited scientific overview describes how SPMs act as “pro-resolution mechanisms” that help clear debris while limiting bystander tissue damage, as summarized in this Nature Reviews Immunology article on specialized pro-resolving mediators.
You’ll sometimes see the phrase “inflammation resolutio” in searches and discussions (often as a shorthand or truncated term). The idea behind it is consistent: health depends not only on starting inflammation when needed, but also on ending it well.
A simple timeline: from “alarm” to “clean-up” to “back to normal”
Here’s a plain-language timeline of what often happens after a minor injury or infection:
- Alarm goes off: Chemical signals widen blood vessels and call for help, which can create redness, heat, and swelling.
- First responders arrive: Neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) rush in early to attack germs and contain damage.
- Clean-up crews take over: Macrophages act like sanitation workers. They eat debris and clear out dead cells (a process called efferocytosis, which is basically “taking out the trash” at a cellular level).
- Drain and rebuild: The lymphatic system helps move fluid and waste products away. Repair signals support tissue rebuilding, then the system returns closer to baseline.
Resolution includes stopping extra immune cell traffic, clearing debris efficiently, and sending “repair and restore” messages so the area doesn’t stay stuck on high alert.
What can go wrong with unresolved inflammation
When inflammation doesn’t resolve, it’s rarely because the body “forgot.” More often, it’s because the trigger keeps repeating, or the clean-up work is slowed.
Common, non-mysterious drivers include poor sleep, chronic stress, smoke exposure, ongoing irritation in the mouth or gut, an ultra-processed diet pattern, or infections that keep smoldering. Another possible factor is not having enough omega-3 building blocks available for the body’s own pro-resolving pathways. Age can play a role too, since repair and clearance can become less efficient over time.
How does unresolved inflammation feel in real life? People often describe things like lingering stiffness after activity, slower recovery from workouts, “puffy” joints that come and go, brain fog, or just a sense that the body is taking longer to bounce back. Those symptoms can have many causes, so it’s not a diagnosis, but they fit the general experience of an immune response that isn’t completing its full cycle.
Meet the SPMs: resolvins, protectins, and maresins, the body’s peacekeepers
Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are easy to misunderstand because of their name. “Pro-resolving” doesn’t mean they’re weak, and it doesn’t mean they shut down your immune system. It means they help the body end inflammation safely once the job is done, then shift into cleanup and repair.
A simple definition that holds up well is this: SPMs are signals made from healthy fats. The body converts certain fatty acids into these signaling molecules through enzyme steps, often during active inflammation. You can think of them as messages that say, “Stop sending more fighters, start clearing the battlefield, and rebuild.”
SPMs include several families:
- Resolvins (including D-series from DHA and E-series from EPA)
- Protectins
- Maresins
- (There are also lipoxins, made from omega-6 arachidonic acid, which can also support resolution)
When people talk about omega-3 resolution, they’re pointing to the fact that omega-3 fats, mainly EPA and DHA, are common starting materials for resolvins, protectins, and maresins. This doesn’t mean eating fish automatically floods your body with SPMs, but it helps explain why omega-3 status keeps coming up in resolution research. A peer-reviewed overview discussing SPMs as “pro-resolving metabolites” and how they relate to fish oil research is available in this ScienceDirect review on pro-resolving metabolites.
Researchers often highlight named examples such as resolvin D1, protectin D1, and maresin 1 because they’ve been studied in lab models and, in some cases, early human work. The core theme stays the same: SPMs support order, timing, and clean exit, instead of endless immune activation. For a broader scientific background on how resolvins fit into resolution biology, this open-access review on resolvins in inflammation is a useful starting point.
Resolvins: how they help the immune system stop fighting and start clearing
Resolvins act like a traffic cop at a crowded intersection. Early in inflammation, lots of immune cells are being waved in. Later, resolvins help change the signals so fewer neutrophils keep pouring into the tissue, and the immune response shifts toward clean-up and repair.
In plain terms, resolvins are linked to three big actions:
First, they can reduce extra neutrophil entry into inflamed tissue. That matters because neutrophils are powerful and necessary early on, but too many for too long can increase collateral damage.
Second, they can help macrophages do better clean-up. One key task is efferocytosis, which is the safe removal of dead or dying cells. When that clean-up is efficient, inflammation can settle faster and tissues can move into repair.
Third, resolvins support a calmer local environment, helping tissues stop broadcasting distress signals once the main threat is handled.
Resolvin D1 is one of the best-known examples. It has been studied in multiple models of inflammation, and it continues to appear in newer research as scientists explore receptor pathways and neuro-immune effects. One example of how active this research area is can be seen in the ongoing PubMed literature on resolvin D1, such as this entry on resolvin D1 and neuroinflammation resolution.
Protectins and maresins: support for calming, protecting, and rebuilding
If resolvins are the traffic cop, protectins and maresins are more like site managers. They’re part of the same broader network, and they work alongside many other signals and cells.
Protectin D1 is linked in research to protecting tissues and balancing inflammatory signaling in ways that may limit damage during an immune response. It’s studied across different contexts, including respiratory and immune models, with attention to how it affects immune cell behavior.
Maresin 1 (also written as MaR1) is associated with repair and return to normal tissue function. In lab and animal studies, maresins are linked to improved clearance, reduced excessive signaling, and support for rebuilding. The family name “maresin” comes from macrophages, which hints at how closely these mediators are tied to clean-up and repair roles.
If you want a deeper scientific overview of these two families, this open-access review on protectins and maresins summarizes what’s known and where questions remain.
The key takeaway is simple: SPMs are not magic bullets. They’re part of a coordinated, time-sensitive process that helps the immune system finish strong and stand down.
How to support your body’s pro-resolving tools in real life
Most people don’t need to micromanage immune chemistry. The body is good at resolution when the basics are in place and the triggers are not constant. The goal is to support normal function, not chase a supplement trend.
Start with a mindset shift: “less inflammation” is not always the target. Better timing is. You want a strong response when needed, then a clean wrap-up.
Food first: omega-3s as raw material, plus the basics that make resolution easier
EPA and DHA are the best-known omega-3s in the SPM conversation. Food sources include fatty fish like salmon, sardines, trout, herring, and anchovies. If you don’t eat fish, algae-based omega-3 oils can provide DHA, and sometimes EPA, without seafood.
Plant foods like flax, chia, and walnuts provide ALA (another omega-3). The body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but the conversion is limited for many people, so ALA is helpful but not always a full stand-in.
Resolution is also easier when the body has the basics for repair: enough protein for tissue rebuilding, fiber for gut support, colorful plants for micronutrients, and hydration to help circulation and lymphatic flow.
A simple one-day idea (not a prescription):
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with chia, berries, and walnuts.
Lunch: Big salad with beans or chicken, olive oil dressing, and fruit.
Dinner: Sardines or salmon, roasted vegetables, and a baked potato.
Supplement conversations can make sense for some people, but safety comes first. Omega-3 supplements can interact with blood thinners and may raise bleeding risk in certain situations. They’re also worth pausing and discussing before surgery or dental procedures. People with fish or shellfish allergy should be cautious and consider algae-based options with clinician input. Quality testing matters too, since fish oils can oxidize. If you’re curious about the research direction, one clinical paper discussing how marine oil supplementation can increase circulating SPMs is published by the American Heart Association in Circulation Research.
Lifestyle that helps the clean-up crew do its job
Resolution is influenced by daily signals that tell the body whether it’s safe to repair. A few basics make a bigger difference than people expect.
Sleep is the most underrated. Even a week of better sleep can change how sore, wired, or puffy you feel. Aim for consistent timing, a cool dark room, and less late-night scrolling.
Stress matters because it keeps “alarm” hormones elevated. You don’t need a perfect meditation habit. A 10-minute walk, slow breathing for two minutes, journaling, or a phone-free lunch break can lower the background noise.
Movement is also part of immune balance. Regular, moderate activity supports circulation and lymph flow, and strength training gives tissues a reason to rebuild. If you’re inflamed or run down, think “gentle and consistent,” not “all-out.”
Oral health is a practical win. Inflamed gums can act like a constant low-grade trigger. Daily brushing, flossing, and regular cleanings reduce that burden. Avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke also reduces irritation that can keep immune signaling turned up.
Small changes done often beat heroic routines done once.
Conclusion
Inflammation isn’t the villain. It’s a protection system that helps you survive cuts, bugs, and injuries. The part that gets less attention is resolution, the active process that clears the mess and guides tissues back toward normal.
Specialized pro-resolving mediators, including resolvins, protectins, and maresins (such as resolvin D1, protectin D1, and maresin 1) are part of how the body ends the immune response without shutting down defense. They help reduce extra immune traffic, boost clean-up, and support repair.
A realistic next step is simple: add omega-3-rich foods a couple of times per week, prioritize sleep for the next seven nights, and talk with a clinician before using omega-3 supplements if you take blood thinners, have surgery coming up, or have allergy risks. Research is growing fast, and the basics still do a lot of the heavy lifting for inflammation resolution.
Gas S. is a health writer who covers metabolic health, longevity science, and functional physiology. He breaks down research into clear, usable takeaways for long-term health and recovery. His work focuses on how the body works, progress tracking, and changes you can stick with. Every article is reviewed independently for accuracy and readability.
- Medical Disclaimer: This content is for education only. It doesn’t diagnose, treat, or replace medical care from a licensed professional. Read our full Medical Disclaimer here.