Common in “Western” Diets

Chances are you and your family are not getting enough Omega-3. The US 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee stated that 70% of Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids.

According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, 20% of Americans have blood levels of Omega-3 so low they cannot be detected. Vegetarians and children, who avoid fish for different reasons, are particularly at risk of Omega-3 deficiency. In fact, a recent trial found a large majority of Canada children are not consuming adequate amounts of Omega-3 EPA/DHA. While the U.S.-based Institute of Medicine recommends children aged 4-8 years ingest a very moderate 90 mg of Omega-3 EPA/DHA per day, the above study’s authors state that only 22% of Canadian 4-8 year-olds met the current North American recommendations for EPA/DHA. Meaning 78% of the children did not receive adequate amounts of EPA/DHA in their diets. Using a more liberal suggested intake of 351 mg of Omega-3 EPA/DHA per day, derived by Madden et al., from recommendations made by the American Dietitian Association and the Dietitians of Canada - the percentage of Canadian children not meeting the daily recommended amount of Omega-3 EPA/DHA jumps to 90%.

Health studies worldwide indicate that the “Western diet” is probably responsible for a significant spike in several diseases - including heart and cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome in kids and adults that can lead to type II diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and possibly allergies.

Western diets typically lack oily fish (that contain Omega-3 EPA/DHA) and contain too many grain-based products (with Omega 6) - especially snacks, vegetable oils and grain-fed animal products. The typical Western diet ratio is about 25 to 1 Omega-6 to Omega-3, but some nutritionists believe the optimum ratio for good health is about 4 to 1.

The solution to Omega-3 diet deficiency: eat oily marine fish (such as salmon) twice a week. If you can’t eat or don’t want fish, healthy alternatives include purified fish oil supplements and foods enriched with Omega-3 DHA/EPA.