Research

In the Beginning

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Nutrition is a science of the 20th century. The isolation and identification of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients including phytochemicals and essential fatty acids (EFAs) is largely the product of research carried out over the past nine decades.

The discovery of EFAs goes back to 1929 and the work of husband-and-wife research team George and Mildred Burr. The couple's research showed that a lack of essential fats in the diet of laboratory rats created skin problems such as dryness, scales and swelling. They also observed damage to internal organs as the deficiency progressed.

In 1956, Oxford University's Hugh Sinclair, one of the world's greatest nutritional researchers, claimed that most of the so-called "diseases of civilization" - coronary heart disease, thrombosis, cancer, diabetes, inflammation and skin diseases - were caused by a disturbance in fat metabolism. The major reason for this, he wrote, is that 20th century diets were full of processed foods rich in saturated fats and trans-fatty acids ("bad" fats), but severely lacking in essential fatty acids ("good" fats). It wasn't until the 1970s, however, that the health value of the Omega-3 fatty acids - as distinct from the Omega-6 fatty acid family - began to attract recognition.