#068 Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health

Dr. William ("Bill") Harris is one of the world's preeminent experts in the field of omega-3 fatty acid research. His work has focused on the roles that fatty acids in play in cardiovascular and neurocognitive health.

The author of more than 300 scientific papers on fatty acids and health, Dr. Harris is a professor in the Department of Medicine in the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota, the co-inventor of the Omega-3 Index, founder of OmegaQuant Analytics, and president and founder of the Fatty Acid Research Institute.

In this episode, Dr. Harris and I discuss…

• (00:00) Introduction
• (06:36) Early studies on omega-3s, dietary fats, and cholesterol 
• (14:44) Omega-3s may normalize bleeding times 
• (20:33) Plant-based omega-3s are not equivalent in power to marine omega-3s 
• (25:23) Genetic engineering of plants is needed for sustainable omega-3s in the future
• (27:18) The omega-3 index reveals individual variations in omega-3 needs
• (32:13) Red blood cell concentration of omega-3s better reflect long-term omega-3 status
• (36:41) Genetic variants influence omega-3 dietary needs
• (54:20) The omega-3 index may predict life expectancy
• (01:05:03) How metabolites of omega-3 reduce and resolve inflammation
• (01:17:11) High omega-3 concentrations halve the risk of COVID-19 death
• (01:20:10) DHA may help keep the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from entering cells
• (01:22:50) Concerns over the omega-6/omega-3 ratio may be unfounded

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