With more than 22,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers already published and at least a few dozen more being created at any given moment, the role of essential fatty acids (EFAs) in lifelong human nutrition is so firmly established that only dedicated naysayers would consider debating their value. True, one research effort in 2013 resulted in some scary headlines about omega-3s and prostate cancer (see sidebar below). However, while the result was a dip in U.S. sales volume in 2013—following years of double-digit growth for the category—many scientists have challenged the methodology used in that study.

The vast majority of available evidence supports EFAs—specifically omega-3s, which cannot be manufactured by the body but must be obtained from foods or supplements—as being good for, if not critical to, maintenance of the cardiovascular system, bones and joints, cognitive health, optimal vision and more.

“Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is generally used in heart health and joint health products and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), having more top of mind awareness, in mental acuity and child brain development,” said Sam Wright IV, CEO of The Wright Group, Crowley, LA. “DHA is widely used in infant formula for this reason, with algae-based DHA holding the majority of demand.”

Much of the omega-3 content taken in via the food route comes from margarines, cooking oils, snack bars and the like, said Mr. Wright. “We tend not to eat much fatty fish in the United States in comparison to other cultures,” he explained.

When Food Isn’t Enough
If food doesn’t fill the bill, dietary supplements may supply solutions. Bob Green, chairman of West Caldwell, NJ-based Novel Ingredient Services, said, “Formulators of omega-3 supplements and other products are becoming much more sophisticated. With the wealth of omega-3 research, they can now be very specific about their formula needs—which, for example, may require an ultra-high DHA concentrate, a specific balance of DHA and EPA concentrates, or precise levels of total omega-3s.”

Noting that Novel Ingredient Services is the exclusive U.S. distributor for Norway-based GC Rieber Oils, Mr. Green said, “This is a huge growth opportunity for GC Rieber. Customization has long been one of the company’s specialties.”

The supplement side of the supply chain should also benefit from new interest in high-concentration products that are needed not only for natural products manufacturers but for a growing pharmaceutical business, said Michael Fisher, managing director of Golden Omega USA, LLC, Aliso Viejo CA, which markets “ultra-refined omega-3 concentrates (up to 85% EPA and DHA) from Chile.

Mr. Fisher cited studies showing benefits to both the brain and the heart. In one paper, from Pottala JV et al., the researchers concluded that “a higher omega-3 index was correlated with normal brain volume and hippocampal volume in postmenopausal women measured eight years later.” In another study, he said, scientists looked at the documented high ischemic heart disease (IHD) and total mortality risk associated with non-fasting plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. “High non-fasting TG has an even higher risk association to IHD than high cholesterol,” Mr. Fisher said. “Also, the lowering of risk by lower plasma TG extends deep into values that are ‘normal’ (i.e., below 1 mmol/L). This opens up a new avenue for omega-3 supplementation, as omega-3 fatty acids lower non-fasting TG.”

Referencing work by Artemis P. Simopoulos, of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Emilie Slaby of The Scoular Company, Minneapolis, MN, suggested a diet with an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 4:1 (vs. the typical value in a western diet of 20:1) was strongly correlated with a reduction in cardiovascular, inflammatory and autoimmune health challenges.

And, she added, the reduction in the omega-6/omega-3 ratio could be accomplished by increasing intake of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA).

The Choices
Looking for ALA? Mary Ann Siciliano, national sales manager of Arista Industries, Inc., Wilton, CT, would have you consider flaxseed oil, perilla oil and chia oil.

These are just a few of the alternatives to fish in the EFA world. The Wright Group’s Mr. Wright suggested the market is portioned about 80% from fish sources, 15% algal and 5% vegetable.

Putting a dollar sign on the entire market remains difficult, he noted. Some estimates of finished product sales range as high as $35 billion, but there is disagreement about that number. Meanwhile, he said, “At the raw material level, Euromonitor claims it will soon hit $3 billion. Growth has been running at a rate of more than 30% for the past several years, until the decline in 2013.”

So fish is king. But not just any fish, mind you: salmon, cod liver oil, Norwegian herring, etc. are all rich in omega-3 EPA and DHA.

There are other options as well, said Ms. Siciliano, “The omega-6 fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA) is present in borage, blackcurrant and evening primrose oils.”

Linoleic acid, another omega-6, and the omega-9 fatty acid oleic acid are found in most vegetable oils, including, but not limited to soybean, safflower and sunflower oils, she continued. Hemp seed oil is also very popular because it contains omega-3, 6 and 9.

Krilling Me Softly
A relative newcomer, krill oil has been creating a lot of buzz lately. Mr. Wright said, “Krill is a separate, small factor at present, but it is growing rapidly. North America is currently the biggest market at 43% [of worldwide krill sales], with Asia in second place, at least for now.”

There’s no denying that krill has been a hot topic of conversation over the past several years. Citing SPINS/IRI data, Becky Wright, marketing director for Issaquah, WA-based Aker BioMarine Antarctic US, emphasized that krill sales suffered far less than overall omega-3 sales in 2013. Stunned by the prostate cancer scare, omega-3s in general declined around 11%, while krill sales dipped just 2% for the 52 weeks ending July 14, 2014, she said.

Looking for a dramatic bounceback for all omega-3s, Ms. Wright cited a 2013 Frost & Sullivan report stating that omega-3s can create tremendous healthcare cost savings. “The potential avoided hospital utilization costs related to coronary heart disease through the full use of omega-3 supplements at preventive intake levels could be as much as $2.06 billion on average per year, with a cumulative savings of $16.46 billion from now through 2020.”

Krill’s special role in this, she said, is that it “consistently demonstrates a higher uptake of phospholipid omega-3 fatty acids, improved blood lipid profiles, and increased uptake of DHA in brain tissue compared to other omega-3 fatty acid sources.”

Ms. Wright said Aker’s most recent 300-subject clinical trial, published in the February 2014 edition of Nutrition Research, showed that the company’s Superba brand krill can significantly lower triglycerides and raise the omega-3 index.

Wael Massrieh, PhD, vice president, scientific affairs at Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc., Laval, Québec, Canada, noted that inflammation seems to be the underlying cause of many diseases. “Inflammation decreases 5-HTP, increases glutamate, causes microglia cells to release neurotoxic substances that damage brain tissue and lowers the number of astrocytes, thus decreasing the brain’s ability to protect and repair itself.”

His company’s Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) may help provide an answer, Dr. Massrieh said. “Omega-3 phospholipids are excellent candidates to transport DHA across the blood brain barrier (BBB). The BBB only allows molecules that can cross cell membranes by means of lipid solubility or selective transport to cross into the brain.”

Neptune’s krill oil contains a high proportion (about 80%) of phosphatidylcholine (PC), a class of omega-3 phospholipids, Dr. Massrieh explained. “In addition to crossing the BBB, PC provides choline to brain cells, a small molecule necessary for producing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. And, because it also provides astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant, Neptune Krill Oil can create an environment of decreased damage and increased repair of brain tissue.”

Animal or Vegetable?
Whether one gets omega-3s from algae or fish is not an either/or proposition, according to Laura King, RDN, marketing manager for DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ, which supplies both Meg-3 ingredients sourced from fish and life’sDHA and life’sOmega sourced from plants.

Regardless of where the EFAs come from, said Ms. King’s colleague Sheila Gautier, MS, RD, they offer a variety of health benefits for brain, eye and heart health. “From the time we are born, DHA becomes a key component of the brain and has been shown to support brain and nervous system growth and development. Between birth and five years of age, the human brain increases approximately 3.5 times in mass. During this time it is important that children consume adequate amounts of DHA in their diet to support this period of rapid brain growth and development,” said Ms. Gautier, who specializes in nutrition science and advocacy for DSM.

In fact, EFAs seem to be needed even before birth. “Intakes of 600 mg DHA per day may provide greater protection against early preterm birth,” Ms. Gautier noted. “A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that supplementation with 600 mg algal DHA from <20 weeks gestation to birth improves gestation length, with fewer infants in the DHA-supplemented group born at less than 34 weeks gestation.”

She further stated, “The preterm infants in the supplemented group had shorter hospital stays. This study comes at a time when annually an estimated 15 million babies globally are born preterm, and this number is rising. Thus, identification of strategies to improve gestation duration is important in promoting optimal infant development and health while also reducing societal costs related to preterm births.”

Turning from babies to adults, the DSM scientist said a study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s & Dementia in 2010 reported a supportive effect of DHA on the memory and learning skills of healthy adults 55 years of age or more when they took 900 mg algal DHA/day for six months, as compared to those taking a placebo.

Navigating The Waters Ahead
Logic dictates that any ingredient category capable of providing benefits from before the cradle and almost until the grave would be assured of strong sales for years to come. Virtually all sources for this article agreed that this is the case with essential fatty acids. However, while they share that optimism, each seems to see a different factor accounting for the sector’s continuing growth.

DSM’s Ms. King said her company “is eyeing innovation in regards to potency and sustainability of long-chain omega-3s. We are also constantly developing new innovations and using technology to help manufacturers produce end products with our algal and fish DHA/EPA that are more stable and have an increased sensory profile.”

At Scoular, Ms. Slaby touted “the wallet-friendly benefits of increasing one’s daily omega-3 content through plant-derived, ALA-rich oils like sacha inchi oil, as well as the evolution of liposome technology.” She said a shelf-stable EPA/DHA liposome that could be incorporated into boxed dry goods like pasta and breakfast bars would be a “major breakthrough.”

According to The Wright Group’s Mr. Wright, if krill overcomes some skepticism about its sustainability, “it will grow at a multiple to the overall omega-3 market because it also contains phospholipids and astaxanthin, two very hot nutrients in high demand.” He also predicted there will be an approved RDI and unqualified health claim for certain aspects of EFAs at some point in the future.

“In the next few years we see the market going to high concentration products with a growing pharmaceutical business,” said Golden Omega’s Mr. Fisher.

Echoing this remark, Novel Ingredient’s Mr. Green noted, “The biggest trend we’re seeing is the demand for higher levels of omega 3 concentrates—specially high-potency DHA concentrates.” He also cited increased product customization and expansion into new markets, not least of which is the recent FDA approval of omega-3 drugs. According to Mr. Green, the introduction of omega-3 pharmaceuticals “will not only incite omega-3 usage in other channels, but also hasten the functional applications of omega-3s in more foods and beverages and perhaps even health and beauty aids, such as skin care products.”

At Aker, Ms. Wright also looks for new omega-3 applications. “We’re working on krill gummies at the moment, as well as other krill oil forms. We’re also exploring other markets such as pet nutrition. Wherever omega-3s can go, krill can go too,” she said.

“Omega-3 use in cognitive health will show significant growth,” according to Neptune’s Dr. Massrieh. “This is mainly due to the fact that cognitive consumers span all three population segments, with an increasing trend toward Baby Boomers. These elders tend to suffer from general cognitive decline and even more serious conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Adults find difficulties with depression, anxiety and short-term memory retention. Other adults/parents want to ensure that their young children and teenagers don’t struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning disorders.”

Anticipation of dwindling marine sources underlies the approach of Waukesha, WI-based ConnOils, LLC, said Stacy Peterson, president and CEO. “Many fish species have been over-harvested to the point where a few years back, the naturally occurring omega-3 content reached an all-time low. We believe plant-derived sources of omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids are our future,” she said.

Striking a similar chord, Dean Mosca, president of Proprietary Nutritionals Inc., Kearny, NJ said, “We are seeing more and more plant-based EFAs such as chia being incorporated into convenience food products for health and taste; foods include crackers, cereals and breads. We expect this to continue, as plant-based EFAs lend themselves to food manufacturing quite well.”