As omega 3 is an essential dietary requirement, recommended daily intake levels have been set: in the UK 6% of the total dietary energy intake should be from essential fatty acids (including omega-6 fatty acid)*. Total fat intake should average 35% of the total energy per day. UK consumers currently eat on average only 1/3 of a portion of oil-rich fish per week**.
The average UK diet is therefore seriously short of omega 3 polyunsaturates. However, with consumers becoming more aware of the benefits of healthy eating, oil-rich fish intake has been rising over the past decade, though there is still a long way to go before we reach Government recommended levels of consumption.
Current nutritional advice from the UK Department of Health is that everyone should be eating two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oil-rich. Former Food Standards Agency Chair Sir John Krebs has said: “Eating just one portion of oily fish a week has clear-cut health benefits.”
Internationally there are other recommendations such as from the American Heart Association which recommends that patients who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease should consume about 1g of EPA / DHA per day, preferably from oil-rich fish. Although the EPA / DHA composition varies according to the species of oil-rich fish, a 140g portion of oil-rich fish should deliver at least these levels.
| The natural sources of omega 3 fatty acids are: | |
| ALA | flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds, soya bean, walnut and rapeseed oils, and green leafy vegetables and grains |
| EPA | found in fish oils and fish eggs |
| DHA | also found in fish oils and fish eggs and also: human milk, organic egg yolks, liver, brain and other organ meats. |
References:
* Dietary Reference Values for Food energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom (1991). Report of the Panel on Dietary Reference Values to the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy. Department of Health. London HMSO.
** National Diet and Nutrition Survey Adults aged 19 to 64, Volume 1 (2002). London HMSO