Welcome to JSLN

What is the Japan Society for Lipid Nutrition?

What comes to mind when you think of "lipids"? That excessive intake of lipids potentially increases the risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, so it's better to avoid them? Ingredients and supplements that inhibit lipid absorption are indispensable? Lipids have long been vilified, but thanks to advances in lipid research, we now better understand the characteristics and functions of the components that make up lipids (fatty acids), which has revealed the types of fats we should avoid, those we ingest without realizing it (hidden lipids), and those we tend to lack if we're not careful what we eat.

Lipid nutrition is a field of study that investigates the impact of lipids on human health. From basic research through to clinical studies, researchers scientifically verify the various roles of lipids and their impacts on health based on the type of fatty acids they comprise, and then widely disseminate the findings. Understanding the different functions of these fatty acids and maintaining an optimal balance between them can help in the prevention and management of numerous diseases, including lifestyle-related diseases. This is particularly relevant in the case of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fatty acids that play vital roles in our physiology, but because our bodies cannot produce them, we must obtain them solely through diet. Increasing people’s awareness and knowledge of what kinds of lipids they consume in their regular diet (lipid literacy) can inform their dietary behaviors.

Through lipid nutrition research to elucidate the fatty acids that significantly affect health, the Japan Society for Lipid Nutrition aims to establish evidence-based guidelines for lipid intake and suitable practical measures for such intake to improve the general public’s dietary habits. Society members include researchers from diverse backgrounds, including medicine, pharmacy, biochemistry, nutrition, agriculture, and veterinary science, who actively exchange ideas to advance the field of lipid nutrition further. We invite researchers who share this vision to join us in achieving our aim.