ABSTRACT

The essentiality of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was recognized in 1960-1980, that is, much later than the discovery of the essentiality of n-6 PUFAs. This was due to the more subtle symptoms of n-3 PUFA deciency related to neurological outcomes, which are hard to detect and test compared to the presence of scaly skin seen with n-6 PUFA deciency. Therefore, the study of actual functional effects of dietary n-3 PUFA has progressed slowly. Although highly promising, the eld is still at a stage where we cannot draw denite conclusions about the importance of n-3 PUFA, let alone determine the ranges of optimal intakes with respect to dose and specic types of n-3 PUFA at different ages.