Omega-3 EPA/DHA: The most pressing nutritional deficiency?

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1 Omega-3 EPA/DHA: The most pressing nutritional deficiency? by Lori Covert, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Ocean Nutrition Canada When it comes to nutritional deficiencies in the industrialized world, it s the traditional vitamins and minerals that get the most press. Women of child-bearing age are urged to consume adequate folic acid to prevent major birth defects, known as neural tube defects (NTDs). Women of all ages are constantly reminded to get plenty of calcium to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. And, increasingly, the alarm is being sounded for those living in northerly latitudes to increase their intake of vitamin D, an essential nutrient that may play a role in preventing certain types of cancers and is estimated to be deficient in more than 40 % of American adults. 1 However, one deficiency may be even more widespread in its prevalence and more devastating in its consequences: Marine-derived Omega-3 fatty acids. The many benefits of Omega-3 EPA/DHA > Omega-3 fatty acids are categorized as essential fatty acids (EFAs), meaning they are essential for health, but cannot be produced by the body. Therefore, they must be supplied through the diet. The marine-derived Omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are well-known for their heart-healthy benefits, including lowering triglycerides and blood pressure, regulating heartbeat, reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death, slowing the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque, decreasing inflammation, and reducing the risk of stroke. However, Omega-3 EPA /DHA also have documented benefits for: Cognitive function, including Alzheimer s disease, dementia, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and behavioural problems; Mental health, including bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, and schizophrenia; Inflammatory and auto-immune diseases, including asthma, certain cancers, type 1 20 Wellness Foods Europe April/May 2009

2 diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, certain bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis; Pregnancy and breastfeeding, including brain development, healthy birth weight, immunity, IQ and visual acuity; and, General well-being, including weight loss and improved body composition. The prevalence of Omega-3 deficiency > Unfortunately, most people do not eat diets providing adequate amounts of Omega-3 EPA/ DHA, which occur in oily fish. Using samples from the landmark Framingham Heart Study and several other populations, Dr. Edward Siguel, in oral testimony given at the second meeting of the U.S Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, reported that 70 % of Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids. 2 According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, in comments presented to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 20% of Americans have blood levels of Omega-3 so low they cannot be detected. 3 Vegetarians and children, who avoid fish for different reasons, are particularly at risk of Omega-3 deficiency. In fact, a recent trial found a large majority of Canadian children are deficient in Omega-3 EPA/DHA. While the U.S.-based Institute of Medicine recommends children ingest a very moderate 90 mg of Omega-3 EPA/DHA per day, the median daily consumption of Omega-3 EPA/DHA among a sample group of Canadian four to eight-year-olds was only 31.5 mg, meaning 78 % of the children did not receive adequate amounts of EPA and DHA in their diets. 4 Using a more liberal suggested intake of 351 mg of Omega-3 EPA/DHA per day the amount recommended by the American Dietitian Association and the Dietitians of Canada the percentage of Canadian children deficient in Omega-3 EPA/DHA jumps to 90 %. American children fare little better; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services STA-LITE Polydextrose Helps you keep consumers healthier If you want to make your consumers happy, tell them you can help manage weight, reduce glycaemic response and maintain digestive health. They ll love you for it. Just build your baked goods, dairy products and beverages recipes with Tate & Lyle s STA-LITE Polydextrose. You ll be adding fibre, reducing calories, and still delivering great taste in products with high dietary tolerance. It s easy when you know how and we do. So, how do we know what your consumers want? Read the results of our extensive consumer research at or fibres.info@tateandlyle.com 2009 Tate & Lyle

3 Compared to hunter-gatherer societies, industrialized nations consume far less fish, seafood, and wild game, and far more vegetable oils and grains, thereby disrupting the delicate Omega-6/Omega-3 balance. In fact, the U.S.-based Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, headed by Dr. Artemis Simopoulos, found that while humans evolved eating a balanced diet containing a 1:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3, the average ratio of these two fats in the Western diet is now between 15:1 16.7:1, leading to chronic inflammatory disease. 5,6,7 In fact, 10 % of the total calories in the American diet come from vegetable oils which are high in Omega-6. indicates the average consumption of Omega-3 EPA/DHA for American children four to eight years of age is 50 mg/day, noted the researchers. The Omega-6/Omega-3 imbalance > Clearly, we aren t consuming enough Omega-3. And, that begs the question: How did we get so deficient? Part of the answer is that we simply don t eat as much oily fish the only dietary source of Omega-3 EPA/DHA as we used to. However, there is a more insidious, underlying factor to the current lack: Our Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid ratio is dangerously out of balance. Both Omega-6 and Omega-3 play a role in human biochemistry and physiology. Omega-6 found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and grains gives rise to substances that promote inflammation, encourage blood clotting, and narrow the blood vessels. Omega-3, on the other hand found as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in green leafy vegetables, seaweed, and flaxseed oil, and as EPA/DHA in oily fish gives rise to substances that reduce inflammation, prevent blood from clotting, and relax the blood vessels. It is the balance between the two that is key to physical and mental health. How much is enough? > Omega-3 deficiency doesn t get as much attention as traditional nutrient deficiencies because no individual country has set a recommended daily intake (RDI). However, many health organizations have set recommended adequate dietary intakes for Omega-3, such as the U.S.-based National Institutes of Health, which recommends 650 mg EPA/DHA per day. The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids advocates 500 mg per day of EPA/DHA for adults. However, higher levels may be indicated in specific disease states, The American Heart Association, for example, recommends one gram EPA/DHA daily for coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease patients and two to four grams EPA/DHA daily for patients who need to lower triglycerides. Trials on patients with depression and schizophrenia generally noted improvements at dosages of one to two grams of EPA daily when EPA was taken alone, and at dosages of 4.4 to 6.2 grams of EPA plus 2.2 to 3.4 grams of DHA when both fatty acids were taken together. However, Omega-3 dosage is not a onesize-fits-all formula. Because Omega-6 and Omega-3 compete for the same enzymes to make a host of regulatory substances, the 22 Wellness Foods Europe April/May 2009

4 requirements for Omega-3 EPA/DHA are profoundly influenced by a person s dietary choices: The higher the Omega-6 consumption, the higher the need for Omega-3. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition illustrates this point. Taking into account the background diet in different countries, researchers calculated the amount of Omega-3 needed daily to achieve the same tissue concentrations of EPA/DHA typical of the Japanese, who consume large amounts of Omega-3 and have some of the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease mortality and major depression. While people of the Philippines only need to supplement with 278 mg/day to complement the average diet, those living in the United Kingdom require 1600 mg/day, and Americans, with their high consumption of Omega-6 from processed foods, require 3667 mg/day. The flax oil myth > Many consumers are under the impression they can get the benefits of Omega-3 EPA/DHA by taking flaxseed oil or other vegetarian sources of Omega-3. While, the body can convert the alpha linolenic acid (ALA) in flaxseed oil into the types of Omega-3 the body uses EPA and DHA the conversion is extremely inefficient. Complicating the matter, the conversion is further blocked by diet and lifestyle factors, including saturated fat hydrogenated fat and trans fatty acid intake; a lack of co-factors such as zinc, magnesium, manganese, and vitamins A, B3, B6, and C; and the presence of stress hormones and viral infections. As a result, some research shows only 0.3 % of ALA is actually converted to EPA and less than 0.1 % to DHA. 9 In fact, based on its analysis of the current body of Omega-3 research, the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids issued a statement that conversion of ALA to EPA is very low, and to DHA is even less essentially negligible. These very low conversion rates mean that ALA cannot meet the body s need for DHA. 10 STA-LITE Polydextrose and helps keep your business in shape Looking for an easy and cost-effective way to create fibre-rich foods and beverages that keep consumers healthier? Tate & Lyle s STA-LITE Polydextrose contains just 1 kcal per gram and delivers versatile bulking properties to maintain taste and texture when full calorie carbohydrates are removed. STA-LITE Polydextrose also adds prebiotic fibre functionality to no-added sugar and reduced-calorie products, so you can position them for digestive health and immunity benefits. It s a clean-tasting, multi-functional ingredient that s available in convenient dry and liquid forms and is easy to use in all formulations - with high solubility, clarity and process stability. Want to know how ingredients innovator Tate & Lyle can help you reformulate your brands for a healthier bottom line? Register for our webinar: Fibre solutions to keep your business in shape at or fibres.info@tateandlyle.com 2009 Tate & Lyle

5 New technology makes fish oil go unnoticed in fortified foods > According to a 2008 report published by the Natural Marketing Institute, more American consumers believe they are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids than any other nutrient. 11 But due to concerns about contamination, many consumers are hesitant to increase their fish intake. And, some simply don t have the time or inclination to prepare fresh fish meals twice a week. This gap between knowledge and action can be solved with fish oil-fortified foods. Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) is the world s largest supplier of Omega-3 EPA and DHA ingredients from fish oil. Its pure, highquality MEG-3 Omega-3 EPA/DHA is available as MEG-3 fish oil concentrates for dietary supplements, and as MEG-3 powder for functional foods. After seven years of intensive research, the company developed its patented Powder-loc microencapsulation technology, which uses a double-shell protection system to lock the fishy taste out of food. Powder-loc makes it possible to add fish oil to foods ranging from pizza to peanut butter, helping abate what may be the world s most pressing nutritional deficiency. References > 1 Allen, Scott. Vitamin D deficiency tied to host of dangers. The Boston Globe. Dec. 30, health_science/articles/2004/12/30/vitamin_ d_deficiency_tied_to_host_of_dangers/ 2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Meeting. Meeting Summary. Jan. 28, 2004: dgac012004minutes.pdf 3 Fallon, Sally, et al. Comments on the Report of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Weston A. Price Foundation. Sept. 27, org/federalupdate/testimony/comments_dietaryguidelinesrep.pdf 4 Madden S, et al. Direct diet quantification indicates low intakes of (n-3) fatty acids in children 4 to 8 years old. J Nutr. Mar 2009;139: Simopoulos, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002;21(6): Simopoulos, et al. Evolutionary aspects of diet, the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and genetic variation: nutritional implications for chronic diseases. Biomed Pharmacother. 2006; 60(9): Simopoulos, et al. Omega-6/Omega-3 essential fatty acid ratio: The scientific evidence. World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2003; Hibbeln J. Healthy intakes of n-3 and n- 6 fatty acids: estimations considering worldwide diversity. Amer J Clin Nutr Jun;83(6 Suppl):1483S-1493S. 9 Hussein, et al. Long-chain conversion of [13C] linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in response to marked changes in their dietary intake in men. J Lipid Res Feb;46(2): Starling, Shane. ALA-DHA conversion negligible, say fatty acid experts. NutraIngredients.com. March 25, nutraingredients-usa.com/on-your-radar/ Omega-3/ALA-DHA-conversion-negligiblesay-fatty-acids-experts 11 Moloughney, Sean. EFAs at a Crossroads. Nutraceuticals World. Sept., The Author: Lori Covert, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited 101 Research Drive Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada B2Y 4T6 Phone: Fax: lcovert@ocean-nutrition.com 24 Wellness Foods Europe April/May 2009