Since then, research on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids has exploded. According to Dyerberg, in 1971 he and Bang were the first to publish any research on the topic; by 2012, there were nearly 25,000 research papers about omega-3 fatty acids. He says, “I’ve had the privilege of opening up a new avenue of human nutrition research.” Research has identified other ways in which EPA and DHA exert health effects: by reducing blood pressure, by lowering the levels of other blood fats, and by reducing inflammation.

Initially, scientists were primarily concerned with cardiovascular disease—but Dyerberg says that these omega-3 fatty acids may also have beneficial effects on our brains, as well, by improving eyesight, cognitive function, and even possibly IQ.

In general, most people living in America, Europe, and other Western countries do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids in their diets from fatty fish and plant sources of linolenic acid. This isn’t just happening in America. Only a few years after Dyerberg and Bang’s groundbreaking work in Greenland, everything began changing for the Inuit. When the scientists returned in 1982, some Inuit had obtained phones and generators that supplied electricity for cooking. Every time he went back, he saw more snowmobiles and fewer dog sleds; fishing poles began to be replaced by large shops that stocked typical American or Danish food. Rates of smoking and alcohol use began to skyrocket. “Today, only really remote areas have the Inuit eating in a traditional way,” he says. “Most Inuit try to eat much as we do.” Not surprisingly, their rates of heart disease have risen accordingly, and now match those seen in other Western countries.

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As is often true for information regarding the impact of diet on health, this story continues to evolve. A recent analysis indicates that the number of deaths attributed to coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Inuit was not likely very accurate. There is also a general lack of good information examining the affect of fish oils on CAD risk in Caucasians compared to native peoples inhabiting regions of the Arctic. While the result of many recent studies disputes the ability of fish oils to reduce the risk of heart disease, there does appear to be enough evidence to support the idea that an adequate intake of fish oils may indeed reduce the risk of some forms of heart disease in some specific subgroups within our population. Despite these recent questions, the work of Dyerberg and Bang had a critically important role in developing our current understanding of the significance that EPA and DHA play in our body.

Their story does tell us that, although eating too much fat is never a good thing, ingesting too little of specific types of fats can also be detrimental, says Allport. “Having a sufficient amount of fat on your body protects you,” she says. “Those are our reserves—we absolutely need them. We don’t need as much as many people have, but it’s not a good guy–bad guy kind of thing. We have to have a healthy appreciation for a healthy amount and type of fat.”

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