China: here are the doses for Omega-3 intake

From 250 to 2000 milligrams per day. This is the recommended dose of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) for adults, recently established by the Chinese Nutrition Society. A long-awaited move for a country where the consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids is still very low.

The official Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) were published at the beginning of June in the “Chinese DRI Handbook 2013”. This recommendation is part of a broader document not yet published, through which the government will release further information and explain the rationale behind the recommended levels.

The importance of Omega-3 

In recent years, multiple diet-disease relationships have been identified, and this knowledge has become the focus of important policy programs. Historically, polyunsaturated fatty acids have received less attention from health policies compared to saturated fats and cholesterol. However, in recent decades it has been discovered that Omega-3 EPA and DHA, mainly found in fatty fish, play a fundamental role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and inflammation, as well as in brain and retinal development.

DRI: here are the recommended doses

The Chinese publication established, besides the doses for adults of 250 - 2000 mg per day, also the adequate intake levels for different population groups. For children from zero to four years old, the recommended dose is 100 mg per day of DHA, while for pregnant and breastfeeding women it is 250 mg daily of EPA and DHA (of which 200 mg DHA). No indication was issued for children and adolescents aged four to 18 years. In this regard, GOED, a non-profit organization promoting adequate Omega-3 consumption, has sent a letter to the Chinese Nutrition Society urging it to release recommendations also for children.

An important document for Chinese consumers 

The recommendations are important for consumer education in China, where there is a strong need to increase EPA and DHA intake. Recently, the Global Burden of Disease, a project by the World Health Organization, estimated that 188,000 people died in China during 2010 due to low Omega-3 intake. Moreover, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal, conducted to quantify global essential fat consumption in different countries between 1990 and 2010, the average daily intake of Omega-3 in China is only 37 mg, a quantity significantly lower than the new recommendations.

Sources: Renata Micha, et al, “Global, regional, and national consumption levels of dietary fats and oils in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis including 266 country-specific nutrition surveys” British Medical Journal 2014; 348 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g2272 Published 15 April 2014