Adequate Intake For Omega 3

Omega 6 fatty acids omega 6s have a carbon carbon double bond that is six carbons away from the methyl end of the fatty acid chain.

Adequate intake for omega 3. In fact a typical western diet provides 14 to 25 times more omega 6 fatty acids than omega 3 fatty acids 1. That is not the same as an omega 3 recommended dietary allowance rda adequate intake ai or tolerable upper intake level ul. Yet in many regions around the globe a high proportion of the adult population still does not have adequate omega 3 status and this.

Omega 3 intake and status with many positive health benefits omega 3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids pufas are one of the most researched micronutrients in the world. An omega 3 fatty acid intake of 2 g day alpha linolenic acid ala and 250 mg day long chain omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid epa and docosahexaenoic acid dha an omega 6 fatty acid intake of 10 g day linoleic acid la. The omega 3 index is a measure of the relative amount of epa and dha in red blood cells expressed as the percentage of the total amount of fatty acids present.

The intake of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids should be relatively balanced but unfortunately most people following a western style diet get too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3. Institute of medicine established adequate intake ai levels. Taking up to 3 000 5 000 mg of omega 3 per day appears to be safe although such a high intake is likely not necessary for most people.

This amount is based on an intake that supports normal growth and neural development and results in no nutrient deficiency. This translates into recommended intakes for ala of 0 5 gm day as example of 1 2 1 4 grams for children aged 10 12 years male and female respectively and 1 1 1 5 gm day for 25 49 year old adults female and male respectively. If an individual has an omega 3 index of 3 6 this means that 3 6 of all fatty acids present in their red cell membranes is epa dha.

Ala for example is known as c18 3n 3 because it has 18 carbons and 3 double bonds and is an n 3 or omega 3 fatty acid. A dietary reference intake dri specifically an adequate intake ai has been set for alpha linolenic acid ala by the institute of medicine iom of the national academies. The recommended minimal intake for omega 3 fatty acid in the form of ala was set at 0 5 of total energy.

In 2002 the food and nutrition board of the u s. Similarly epa is known as c20 5n 3 and dha as c22 6n 3.