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Omega 3 Fatty Acid “Status” from the Neonate to the Elderly, as Affected by Dietary, Lifestyle, and Physiological Factors

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Omega-6/3 Fatty Acids

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Abstract

The essentiality of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), including omega-3, was discovered in 1930 (1)—“essential” at the time meaning their role in promoting growth and preventing tissue alterations in animals. The discovery of the importance of omega-3 essential fatty acids (FA) in humans, however, has been a slow process (2), but it was strongly promoted by the classical observations of the low incidence of coronary heart disease in Greenland Eskimos with very high intakes of LC omega-3 (or n-3) FA (3, 4). Since then, decades of research in humans have generated an increasing appreciation of the relevance of these FA for the growth and development of selected tissues and organ functions and have led to the concept that levels of intakes should be aimed at optimizing these effects rather than just preventing deficiencies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Claudio Galli MD, PhD

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  1. Claudio Galli MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Claudio Galli MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. DMF Ltd Company, Luxembourg Str 46, Marche/Famenne, 6900, Belgium

    Fabien De Meester PhD

  2. Health Sciences Center, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave. 1295, Tucson, 85724-5155, Arizona, USA

    Ronald Ross Watson PhD

  3. Division of Health Promotion Sciences, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, Tucson, 85724, Arizona, USA

    Sherma Zibadi PhD

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Galli, C. (2013). Omega 3 Fatty Acid “Status” from the Neonate to the Elderly, as Affected by Dietary, Lifestyle, and Physiological Factors. In: De Meester, F., Watson, R., Zibadi, S. (eds) Omega-6/3 Fatty Acids. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-215-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-215-5_5

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