title: Suboptimal Plasma Long Chain n-3 Concentrations are Common among Adults in the United States, NHANES 2003-2004.
abstract: Population data on long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCn-3 PUFA) status from biomarkers of dietary intake is lacking. The objectives were to describe plasma LCn-3 PUFA concentrations and compare them to concentrations associated with cardiovascular health and dietary recommendations for two servings of seafood/week. Fasting plasma fatty acids were measured among 1386 subjects ≥20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2004. LCn-3 concentrations represent the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid relative to total fatty acids (expressed as a percentage). Mean LCn-3 PUFA concentration was 2.07% (95% CI 1.95-2.19). Overall, 80.6% of participants had LCn-3 below concentrations recommended for cardiovascular health. Hispanic participants were the most likely to have LCn-3 PUFA below recommended levels. Nearly all participants (95.7%) had LCn-3 below concentrations associated with cardiovascular protection. Older participants (≥60 years) had higher LCn-3 PUFA concentrations than those aged 20-39 years but not aged 40-59 years. LCn-3 PUFA concentrations were lower for Hispanic participants relative to non-Hispanic black participants. Suboptimal LCn-3 concentrations are common among U.S. adults. These findings highlight the need to increase LCn-3 intake among Americans.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Science and Advocacy, DSM Nutritional Products, 45 Waterview Blvd, Parsippany, NJ 07054, USA. rachel.murphy@ubc.ca.|School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Rm 167, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada. rachel.murphy@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, 314 Savage Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. eay27@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Elaine A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Science and Advocacy, DSM Nutritional Products, 45 Waterview Blvd, Parsippany, NJ 07054, USA. eric.ciappio@dsm.com.
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Ciappio
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, 314 Savage Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. smehta@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Science and Advocacy, DSM Nutritional Products, 45 Waterview Blvd, Parsippany, NJ 07054, USA. michael.mcburney@dsm.com.
authors.forename: Michael I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: McBurney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: NHANES; adequacy; dietary intake; omega-3; polyunsaturated fatty acids