To review the scientific literature detailing the importance of certain beneficial fatty acids (here, n-3 fatty acids) in health and in disease.
N-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that are necessary from conception through pregnancy and infancy - and most likely the rest of one's life.
During the past two decades, the scientific views about dietary n-3 fatty acids have advanced from speculation about their functions to solid evidence that n-3 fatty acids in the diet are not only essential nutrients - but also may favorably help-out with many diseases.
In the past 2 decades, views about dietary n-3 fatty acids have moved from speculation about their functions to solid evidence that they are not only essential nutrients but also may favorably modulate many diseases. Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3), which is a vital component of the phospholipids of cellular membranes, especially in the brain and retina, is necessary for their proper functioning. n-3 Fatty acids favorably affect atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, inflammatory disease, and perhaps even behavioral disorders. The 38 articles in this supplement document the importance of n-3 fatty acids in both health and disease.
Importance of N-3 Fatty Acids in Health and Disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 71 (suppl). pp. 117S-5S. 2000.
