Fatty acids remain one of the most debated areas in clinical nutrition, yet many widely held beliefs may not align with current evidence. In this episode of New Frontiers in Functional Medicine, Dr. Kara Fitzgerald sits down with Bill Harris, PhD, Founder of OmegaQuant Analytics and co-inventor of the Omega-3 Index, to examine the role of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in cardiovascular risk and clinical decision-making.

Learn how to use the Omega-3 Index as a biomarker, interpret atrial fibrillation risk in the context of omega-3 intake, and differentiate between pharmaceutical and dietary interventions. The conversation also explores emerging data on linoleic acid, challenges simplified “good vs bad fat” models, and highlights the complexity of fatty acid metabolism—offering practical guidance for evaluating labs and refining nutrition strategies in practice.

Full show notes + references: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/fxmed-podcast/

GUEST DETAILS

Dr. Bill Harris, PhD is a leading omega-3 researcher with over 40 years of experience and more than 400 publications on fatty acids and health. He is the co-inventor of the Omega-3 Index and founder of OmegaQuant Analytics. Dr. Harris has held faculty positions at three medical schools, received NIH funding for omega-3 research, and co-authored American Heart Association statements on fatty acids and heart health. He is ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide for research impact.

Email: [email protected]

https://omegaquant.com/

https://www.faresinst.org/

THANKS TO OUR DIAMOND SPONSORS

Biotics Research: https://www.bioticsresearch.com/

Time—Line Nutrition: http://pro.timeline.com/

DUTCH: https://dutchtest.com/for-providers

CONNECT with DrKF

Want more? Join our newsletter here: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/newsletter/ Or take our pop quiz and test your BioAge! https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/bioagequiz

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/hjpc8daz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkarafitzgerald/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrKaraFitzgerald/

DrKF Clinic: Patient consults with DrKF physicians including Younger You Concierge: https://tinyurl.com/yx4fjhkb

Younger You Practitioner Training Program: www.drkarafitzgerald.com/trainingyyi/

Younger You book: https://tinyurl.com/mr4d9tym

Better Broths and Healing Tonics book: https://tinyurl.com/3644mrfw