ABSTRACT
Recognition of the nutritional importance of the long-chain polyunsaturated ω-3 fatty acids (LC-PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), began emerging in the mid-1980s. Research during the previous two decades had indicated that prior to the introduction of modern agricultural practices, human intake of these fatty acids (FA) was much higher; that populations whose intake of these FA was higher exhibited lower occurrence of chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes; that unique compounds called eicosanoids were made from these FA; and these eicosanoids had protective effects against the initiation and progressive development of these diseases (1,2).
