Global Estimates of Dietary Intake of Docosahexaenoic Acid and Arachidonic Acid in Developing and Developed Countries.
For international recommendations on docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) dietary intake to be valid, there needs to be a greater understanding of dietary patterns across both the developed and developing world. The aim of this investigation was to provide a global overview of dietary intake of DHA and ARA.



Food balance sheets from the Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics Division and fatty acid composition data from Australian food composition tables in Nutrient Tables 2010 were utilised to generate median per capita intake estimates for DHA and ARA in 175 countries worldwide.



Estimated dietary intake per capita for DHA and ARA in 47 developed and 128 developing countries demonstrated that 48% of the 175 countries have an ARA intake of <150 mg/day and 64% have a dietary DHA intake of <200 mg/day. There was a direct relationship between dietary ARA and DHA intake and the per capita gross national income of the country. Regional analysis showed the lowest ARA and DHA dietary intake in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asian populations.



This study demonstrates there are many populations worldwide that have ARA and DHA intake that do not reflect current international recommendations, and the public health consequences of this global inadequacy need to be urgently considered.
University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
Stewart
S
Forsyth
Sheila
S
Gautier
Norman
N
Salem
D000328:Adult; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D004032:Diet / Q000191:economics; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D014943:Global Health; D059066:Gross Domestic Product; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D010349:Patient Compliance; D014480:United Nations; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid