Webinar: Sustainable Omegas- Evolving Beyond EPA and DHA

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Sustainable Omegas- Evolving Beyond EPA and DHA

Essential fatty acids are crucial for human health, supporting the cardiovascular, immune, and central nervous systems, as well as hormones and skin. However, 90% of those on a Western diet do not receive an adequate or properly balanced intake. While the scientific focus has largely been on omega-3 EPA and DHA and their associated specialised pro-resolving mediators, the Global Organisation of Omega-3s EPA and DHA warned in 2022 that the oceans cannot sustainably provide even the most conservative recommended daily intake of EPA and DHA for the global population.

Plant-based omega-3 ALA offers limited conversion to EPA/DHA, and algal sources primarily supply DHA with little EPA. Whereas refined Buglossoides arvensis seed oil (RBO), rich in omega-3 SDA, efficiently converts to EPA and DHA, providing a broad array of anti-inflammatory substrates and oxylipin precursors, even compared to direct EPA and DHA sources. This webinar will explore overlooked omega metabolites such as ALA, SDA, ETA, GLA, and DGLA, while reviewing evidence that shows RBO’s conversion to circulating EPA is four times more efficient than flaxseed oil, and its support for DHA biosynthesis in key tissues like the liver and brain is comparable to marine DHA sources. Nonmarine sources like algal oils and genetically modified (GM) plant oils, such as GM camelina, will also be discussed in their role as alternatives to marine-derived EPA and DHA.

Presenter: Greg Cumberford
Greg Cumberford has a 30+ year career as a natural products industry executive and thought leader in regenerative, vertically-integrated botanical wellness solutions including Ahiflower® oil. He serves as VP Science & Regulatory with Natures Crops International having joined senior management in 2013. He is the Vice Chair of Bent Creek Institute, Inc based at The North Carolina Arboretum. His career includes botanical products farming and sourcing, R&D, quality, new product innovation, clinical study management, and manufacturing. Greg regularly authors industry and peer-reviewed articles on plant-based health science, R&D, and supply chain sourcing. Greg has a BSc degree in Environmental Earth Science from Stanford University (Phi Beta Kappa).

Presenter: Dr. Ella Baker
Dr Baker is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, with over five years of postdoctoral experience in coordinating human intervention trials on nutrition and inflammation. Her research focuses on lipid metabolism and the functional effects of fatty acids, particularly novel and sustainable plant-derived types. She is exploring their impact on membrane structure, function, and cell signaling. Through interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships with industry, Dr. Baker's work seeks to advance knowledge of plant-derived fatty acids as sustainable alternatives to marine-based sources.