The Fatty Acid Composition of Northern‐Canadian Marine and Terrestrial Mammals

Abstract

The low mortality from cardiovascular disease in Greenland Eskimos has been attributed to their consumption of diets rich in .omega.-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are found in fish and marine mammal lipids. Whereas the fatty acid composition of several fish species has been documented, information is more limited on the mammals which feature significantly in the diets of many Arctic populations. This study investigated the fatty acid composition of commonly eaten marine mammals, as well as the polar bear and caribou. The tissue fatty acid composition was species-dependent, probably reflecting to some degree differences in feeding habits. The marine mammals and the amphibious polar bear, but not the caribou, contained substantial quantities of long chain .omega.-3 fatty acids. These studies further document the transfer of .omega.-3 fatty acids through the food chain to man and suggest that marine mammal and polar bear lipids are significant sources of .omega.-3 fatty acids.