The global availability of n-3 fatty acids

Public Health Nutrition

Hannia Campos¹  Stefka Petrova¹  Walter C Willett¹  Plamen Dimitrov¹ 

关键词: Essential fatty acids;    Food availability;    Nutrient deficiency;   

DOI  :  10.1017/S1368980010003678

学科分类：卫生学

来源: Cambridge University Press

【 摘 要 】

ObjectivesTo assess the validity of FAO data on the availability of fish and vegetable oils as an indicator of national n-3 fatty acid (FA) intake and to estimate the worldwide population living in countries with low n-3 FA intake.DesignLevels of the essential FA α-linolenic acid (ALA) and DHA, measured by GC in adipose tissue from participants in the present study and from published studies in eleven other countries, were used to validate ALA and fish availability estimated from FAO food balance sheets. On the basis of the validated FAO data for ALA and fish availability, we estimated the global prevalence of low n-3 FA availability.SettingRural and urban areas of Bulgaria.SubjectsFifty men and fifty-eight women.ResultsAdipose tissue ALA and DHA levels (0·34 % and 0·11 % of total FA, respectively) in Bulgaria were lower than those of the eleven other countries with available data. A strong positive correlation was found between adipose tissue DHA and fish availability (r = 0·88) and between adipose tissue ALA and ALA availability (r = 0·92). Approximately half of the world's population lived in middle- and low-income countries with limited access to n-3 FA (fish < 400 g/week and ALA < 4 % of total vegetable oils), with the largest proportion being in South-East Asia (53·6 %), followed by Africa (27·1 %) and Eastern Europe (8·5 %). Of this half, 33 % lived in countries such as Bulgaria where n-3 FA was almost unavailable (fish < 200 g/week and ALA < 2 % of total vegetable oils).ConclusionsVery low availability of n-3 FA is extensive worldwide.

【 授权许可】

Unknown