Omega-3 Oils: Important nutrients for good health

Omega-3 fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are nutrients which are important for good health. According to scientific research, EPA and DHA support health maintenance throughout life, e.g. as building blocks in cell membranes and as precursors of eicosanoids. Natural dietary sources are fatty marine fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines. These fish do not produce EPA and DHA themselves but receive them from marine microalgae.

Humans depend on dietary supplies of EPA and DHA since they produce these fatty acids only in small amounts from the precursor alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid found in plants. Consumption of pre-formed EPA and DHA from foods and supplements is an effective way of providing these fatty acids to the human body.

BASF offers deodorized omega-3 fish oils suitable for functional nutrition and dietary supplements such as spoonable oils, syrups and chewables.

Sources: NIH Fact Sheets for Health Professionals and Consumers, Omega-3 Fatty Acids (February 2024); IOM Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2005.