Total Long-Chain n-3 Fatty Acid Intake and Food Sources in the United States Compared to Recommended Intakes: NHANES 2003-2008.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional population survey (NHANES)
PubMed 28956299 · doi:10.1007/s11745-017-4297-3
What was done
Cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2008 data examining long-chain n-3 fatty acid intake from foods and supplements across age, sex, and ethnicity in 24,621 US individuals. Total intake was calculated using an "EPA equivalents" factor to account for shorter-chain n-3 conversion, evaluated against the American Heart Association target of ≈ 0.5 g/day of EPA + DHA.
What was found
Over 90% of individuals consumed less than the recommended 0.5 g/day from food sources (median = 0.11 g/day; mean = 0.17 g/day). Fish contributed 71.2% of dietary intake among the top 15% of consumers. Intake was highest in men aged ≥ 20 years and lowest in children, pregnant/lactating women, and Mexican-Americans. Only 6.2% reported n-3 supplement use, which did not change the median daily intake.
Why it matters
Provides large-scale national data demonstrating a substantial deficit in long-chain omega-3 consumption across the US population, identifying reproductive-age women, children, and Mexican-Americans as the groups with the lowest intake.
Limits
Cross-sectional design based on self-reported dietary recall, which is vulnerable to misreporting and recall bias. Data reflects dietary patterns from 2003–2008, which may not match current consumption. The "EPA equivalents" calculation depends on assumptions about endogenous conversion rates that vary biologically across individuals.
Cited by
- supports Approximately 90% of the United States population does not consume sufficient omega-3 fatty acids from their diet.