Three-quarters of people not getting enough omega-3

Over three-quarters of people around the world are not eating the recommended intake of omega-3, new research shows.

Southampton researchers have found 76 percent of people worldwide are not meeting recommended intakes of two omega-3s, EPA and DHA.

The review was a collaboration between researchers at the University of Southampton, University of East Anglia and Holland & Barrett.

It is the first global review of national and international omega-3 intake recommendations across all life stages for generally healthy people.

The results have been published in Nutrition Research Reviews.

'Essential for health'

Eating omega-3 supports a healthy lifestyle throughout all stages of life.

Professor Philip Calder was part of the study. He is Professor of Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton. He is also part of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre's Nutrition, Lifestyle and Metabolism theme.

“The omega-3s EPA and DHA are essential for health throughout the life course,” he said. “But to benefit from these nutrients, people first need to understand how much they should be consuming.

“In this review, we brought together all the recommendations for EPA and DHA intake in healthy populations from authorities around the world to help answer the important question: ‘how much do I need?’

“What is clear is that most people are not meeting these recommendations.”

The review found the most common recommended intake for adults is 250mg per day of combined EPA and DHA. Pregnant women were advised to eat an extra 100–200mg of DHA.

Prof Calder said these targets can be achieved by eating more oily fish, or through supplementation where needed. Oily fish include salmon, sardines and mackerel.

Identifying challenges

The paper also identified challenges different populations face to achieving these omega-3 recommendations.

These included not eating enough fish and concerns about sustainability. Some populations also had limited access to supplementation advice.

Dr Abbie Cawood, Science Director at Holland & Barrett, was part of the study. She is also Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Southampton.

“Omega-3s play such a vital role in health,” she said. “They ensure people can meet their needs, either through diet or with the support of supplementation, at every life stage.

“In fact, our review highlights that supplementation is often required to meet recommended intakes, especially in pregnancy and in those with low fish intakes.

“We are hopeful that this publication can act as an enabler to inform omega-3 dietary guidelines and shape future nutrition policy and public health strategies.”