Dr. Jorn Dyerberg on Omega-3 Discovery

Omega-3 pioneer Dr. Jorn Dyerberg met with Isagenix leaders on Oct. 21. From left, Dr. Bill Wheeler, Dr. Dyerberg and Jim Coover.

When two Danish medical scientists acted on a hunch, crossed an ocean, and traveled on dog sleds across an ice sheet to acquire some blood samples, a few folks might have belittled them as foolish, dangerous and wasting of time and resources. 

No amount of criticism, however, could diminish the need to go to Greenland for Dr. Hans Olaf Bang (now deceased) and Dr. Jørn Dyerberg. Their curiosity had been sparked by reports that the native Inuit, or Eskimos (as they’re commonly called), had a mysteriously low incidence of heart disease in spite of a diet rich in meat and fat, or blubber.

Bang and Dyerberg knew the world was changing and that the Inuit were becoming more Westernized by the day. They had to act right away if they were ever going to find out what in the Inuit’s diet protected their health. Once in Greenland, they collected dozens of blood samples hoping to support an educated guess that the cardioprotective factor was due to dietary polyunsaturated fats. Upon analyzing blood samples back home in Denmark, their hypothesis was confirmed.

Their original discovery was long-chain omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and their cardioprotective benefits, which has now been confirmed by hundreds of human clinical trials. Omega-3 fatty acids have been further exalted to essential status, and fish oil DHA and EPA has been found to affect many areas of health including child brain development.

At Isagenix we were delighted by a recent visit by Dr. Dyerberg, who was kind enough to answer many of our questions: 

INS (Isagenix Nutritional Sciences): How did you enjoy your visit to Isagenix?

Dr. Dyerberg: It was an interesting experience, feeling very much welcomed. I especially enjoyed seeing the impressive results in weight loss as shown at “The Wall of Fame.” As you know, obesity is a main health concern in the U.S.

INS: Yes, obesity is a great concern, and so is omega-3 deficiency. Your story about fish oil is no fish tale. Did you ever think your discovery could be so profound for human health?

Dr. Dyerberg: Back in the 1970s, we had no idea our discoveries would have such magnitude or impact, even if we were dealing with matters of great concern, namely heart diseases. On the other hand, it was, in many years, a disappointment to observe how little the medical society and the public paid attention to results obtainable through our foods. This neglect has fortunately stopped, and omega-3s have now taken a major role in nutrition and human health.

Dr. Dyerberg had “no idea” fish oil would have such profound benefits on cardiovascular health. INS: How have DHA and EPA long-chain omega-3 fatty acids impressed you most? Was it their importance for heart health or child development?

Dr. Dyerberg: Our initial focus was on coronary heart disease, and this has been my central scientific interest. The role of EPA and DHA in this area has consequently impressed me most, not least due to the solid scientific data that support the role of EPA and DHA in this area. The results relating to brain development and disorders may, however, be just as important and I find this area of uttermost interest.

INS: What are your feelings about the newly established campaign to launch an Omega-3 DRI (dietary reference intake) in the United States?

Dr. Dyerberg: I am very positive on that, recognizing that most Western countries—and especially so the U.S.—are suffering from nutritional deficiency in long-chained omega-3 fatty acids. A valid and well-consolidated RDI statement would facilitate nutritional endeavors to correct that.

INS: How do you feel about the use of an Omega-3 Index as a cardiovascular disease indicator?

Dr. Dyerberg: I am familiar with that parameter and find the result supporting its use convincing. On the other hand, I do not consider it as a necessity for instituting nutritional advices regarding omega-3 intake.

INS: We hear you have grandchildren. What do you say to them when they ask about your discovery?

Dr. Dyerberg: Oh, they have heard the story so often that it might even be boring! But when a good item is sought for writing a paper in school, omega-3 and my Greenland expeditions are often used, spiced with details directly from the horse’s mouth.

INS: You must tell them stories about dog sledding and Greenland. What’s dog sledding like?

Dr. Dyerberg: It’s a great experience to do dog sledding, especially when the weather is good. In bad weather it can be really tough! We were in Greenland several times in the 1970s and early ’80s and I have had the opportunity to visit Greenland a few times since, experiencing the rapid transition—for good and for bad—to Westernized ways of living. The Eskimos, or Inuits as they prefer to be called, now also experience the diseases related to our culture such as diabetes, obesity, and heart diseases.

If you’d like to find out more about Dr. Dyerberg’s story, then you might like Susan Allport’s The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them.