Omega-3 Deficiency Causes Up to 96,000 U.S. Deaths Per Year
Lee Swanson Research Update
Omega-3 deficiency is the sixth biggest killer of Americans and is more deadly than excess trans fat intake, according to a new study.
Harvard University researchers looked at 12 dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors such as tobacco smoking and high blood pressure and used a mathematical model to determine how many fatalities could have been prevented if better practices had been observed.
The study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Schools of Public Health, drew on 2005 data from the U.S. National Health Center for Health Statistics. They determined that there were 72,000-96,000 preventable deaths each year due to omega-3 deficiency, compared to 63,000-97,000 for high trans fat intake.
"This is a very interesting analysis," said Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).
"I think this analysis reinforces the long-held notion that the diet has a tremendously powerful impact on health and longevity and that the consumption of omega-3s (along with fruits and veggies) by Americans is far from adequate."
Shao’s counterpart at the Natural Products Association (NPA), Dan Fabricant, Ph.D., emphasized the potential public health care savings that could be derived from better nutrition, especially in tight economic times, but called for further study.
"We need more clinical research that nails down why omega-3 is so effective," Fabricant said. "This seems to be the last missing piece for omega-3s in terms of clarifying the picture for governmental/regulatory bodies of its efficacy."
Shao added the study highlighted the importance of establishing a dietary reference intake (DRI) for omega-3 forms EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
"Once these requirements are established, the government can undertake initiatives to improve Americans’ intake of these critical nutrients," he observed. "But until that happens, Americans are likely to continue to fall short in their omega-3 intake, and we see a glimpse of what the consequence can be from this study."
Public Library of Science Medicine Journal Vol. 6, April, 2009