China to get revised dietary guidelines to boost omega 3 consumption

Related tags Nutrition Omega-3 fatty acid

The Chinese Nutrition Society its to revise its dietary intake guidelines because of a marked increase in the nation’s intake of DHA and EPA fatty acids.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are an important source of omega 3 and mainly come from deep-sea fish sources. Studies have shown that they help prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimers and diabetes while at the same time aiding with brain and visual development.

The new Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes will officially be released in October after researchers at the nutrition society assess the most appropriate levels.

“Chinese people lack the necessary intake of omega 3 and omega 6. They should look at adding edible DHA and EPA oil supplements to their daily diets,” said Yang Yuexin, director of the Chinese Centre for Food Safety. “

The US Institute of Medicine has set the daily recommended intake of DHA and EPA for adults at 160mg. However, the Chinese are lagging far behind: according to a recent survey in the country, the average intake among Chinese adults is only 37.6mg.