(09-11-10) Dietary intake and status of n?3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a population of fish-eating and non-fish-eating meat-eaters,

Dietary intake and status of n?3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a population of fish-eating and non-fish-eating meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and the precursor-product ratio of -linolenic acid to long-chain n?3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: results from the EPIC-Norfolk cohort1,2,3

Ailsa A Welch, Subodha Shakya-Shrestha, Marleen AH Lentjes, Nicholas J Wareham and Kay-Tee Khaw
1 From the School of Medicine Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom (AAW); EPIC-Norfolk UK, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (SSS and K-TK); the MRC Centre for Nutritional Epidemiology in Cancer Prevention and Survival, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (MAHL); and the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom (NJW).
2 EPIC-Norfolk is supported by program grants from the Medical Research Council UK and Cancer Research UK.
3 Address correspondence to AA Welch, School of Medicine Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom. E-mail: [email protected] .
Background: Intakes of n?3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are important for health. Because fish is the major source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), non-fish-eaters may have suboptimal n?3 PUFA status, although the importance of the conversion of plant-derived -linolenic acid (ALA) to EPA and DHA is debated.
Objective: The objective was to determine intakes, food sources, and status of n?3 PUFAs according to dietary habit (fish-eaters and non-fish-eating meat-eaters, vegetarians, or vegans) and estimated conversion between dietary ALA and circulating long-chain n?3 PUFAs.
Design: This study included 14,422 men and women aged 39?78 y from the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition)-Norfolk cohort with 7-d diary data and a substudy in 4902 individuals with plasma phospholipid fatty acid measures. Intakes and status of n?3 PUFAs were measured, and the precursor-product ratio of ALA to circulating n?3 PUFAs was calculated.
Results: Most of the dietary intake of EPA and DHA was supplied by fish; however, meat was the major source in meat-eaters, and spreading fats, soups, and sauces were the major sources in vegetarians. Total n?3 PUFA intakes were 57?80% lower in non-fish-eaters than in fish-eaters, but status differences were considerably smaller. The estimated precursor-product ratio was greater in women than in men and greater in non-fish-eaters than in fish-eaters.
Conclusions: Substantial differences in intakes and in sources of n?3 PUFAs existed between the dietary-habit groups, but the differences in status were smaller than expected, possibly because the precursor-product ratio was greater in non-fish-eaters than in fish-eaters, potentially indicating increased estimated conversion of ALA. If intervention studies were to confirm these findings, it could have implications for fish require
Source: Vol. 92, No. 5, 1040-1051, November 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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