Omega-3 fatty acids: time to get the messages right!

摘要

Omega-3 fatty acids remain high on the agenda for academic researchers, regulatory authorities, the food and supplements industries, marketers, health journalists and consumers. It has been known for over 40 years that some omega-3 fatty acids lower the risk of cardiovascular disease [1-6]. In addition, we now know many, though most likely not all, of the mechanisms by which these fatty acids act in the body to exert their benefit [1,3,4]. We are also beginning to identify beneficial actions elsewhere in the body [7-9]. The exact nature of the effects of these fatty acids, and their complexity, however, has been poorly communicated among the various stakeholders and particularly to the consumer. One reason for this appears to be the use of 'omega-3' or 'omega-3 fat' as a generic term, implying either that(a) there is only the one type of this fatty acid, or(b) there are multiple types of this fatty acid, but as far as nutritional properties and health benefits are concerned, they are all the same. Both suggestions are clearly wrong. Sometimes even the term 'omega' is used as if it was descriptive of only omega-3 fatty acids. It is not; in fact it is not descriptive of anything.