Omega-3 Timeline

George and Mildred Burr

Discovered certain fats are essential for growth and survival in rats—not just for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins or caloric intake

Ralph Holman

Discovered linolenic acid is a precursor of AA and that ALA is a precursor for DHA and EPA

Discovered trout raised with corn oil as sole dietary fat suffer high mortality; as a result, trout became first animal requiring omega-3 as an essential fatty acid

Hans Olaf Blang and Jorn Dyerberg

Found Greenland Inuit people to have lower incidence of heart disease compared to that of the Danes, despite a diet rich in fat and blubber

Michael Crawford

Proved DHA important to brain function

William Lands

Discovered prostaglandins made from omega-3 fatty acids less inflammatory than those from omega-6 fatty acids; fish oil found to treat patients with arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, dysmennorhea and other inflammatory diseases

Robert Anderson

Found DHA is a key part of the eye's photoreceptor

World Health Organization

Concluded all infant formula should closely resemble that of breast milk, including balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids

Ralph Holman

Omega-3 fatty acids added to enteral nutrition and found to be essential to human nutrition

Found imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids leads to numerous diseases

Leonard Strolien

Discovered fish oil to prevent insulin resistance and obesity

DART and GISSI study

Found omega-3 fatty acids to prevent death from heart attacks: one serving a week of fish reduces the risk of heart attacks significantly

Dennis Hoffman

Linked reduced visual and mental acuity with formula not fortified with omega-3 fatty acids

Alexander Leaf

Discovered omega-3 fatty acid to prevent arrhythmia and sudden heart attacks

Joseph Hibbeln

Linked increased risk of depression and bi-polar disease to lack of omega-3 fatty acids