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The global availability of n-3 fatty acids
Stefka Petrova1, Plamen Dimitrov, Walter C Willett
1National Center for Public Health Protection, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Public Health Nutrition
|April 1, 2011
Summary
Global n-3 fatty acid (FA) intake is concerningly low, with about half the world
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
- Dietary Assessment
Background:
- n-3 fatty acids (FA) are essential nutrients with critical health roles.
- Accurate assessment of population-level n-3 FA intake is challenging.
- Food availability data, such as from the FAO, are often used as proxies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the use of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data on fish and vegetable oil availability as indicators of national n-3 FA intake.
- To estimate the global population residing in countries with insufficient n-3 FA availability.
Main Methods:
- Adipose tissue levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were measured in Bulgarian participants and compared with published data from eleven other countries.
- These adipose tissue levels were used to validate ALA and fish availability estimates derived from FAO food balance sheets.
- Validated FAO data were then used to estimate global n-3 FA availability.
Main Results:
- Bulgarian adipose tissue ALA and DHA levels were lower than in other studied countries.
- Strong positive correlations were observed between adipose tissue DHA and fish availability (r=0.88) and between adipose tissue ALA and ALA availability (r=0.92).
- Approximately 50% of the global population lives in countries with limited n-3 FA access, particularly in South-East Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
Conclusions:
- FAO data on fish and vegetable oil availability serve as valid indicators for national n-3 FA intake.
- Very low availability of crucial n-3 fatty acids is a widespread global issue.
- Targeted public health interventions are needed to address the extensive lack of n-3 FA worldwide.
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