Global Survey of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Healthy Adults

Stark et al. • Prog Lipid Res

Key Finding

Most of the world has omega-3 levels below cardioprotective thresholds.

Original title: “Global survey of the omega-3 fatty acids in the blood stream of healthy adults”

Plain English Summary

Worldwide assessment of EPA+DHA blood levels showing most populations have low omega-3 status. Only a few regions (Japan, Scandinavia) achieve cardioprotective levels.

In-Depth Analysis

Background

Dr. Ken D. Stark and colleagues published this global survey in Progress in Lipid Research (PMID: 27216485), mapping omega-3 fatty acid status in healthy adults worldwide.

Study Design

Design: Systematic compilation of EPA+DHA blood level data Scope: Studies from multiple countries measuring RBC or plasma omega-3 levels Standardization: Adjusted for different measurement methods

Key Findings

Global Omega-3 Index distribution:

Region	Omega-3 Index	Risk Category
Japan	9-11%	Low risk
Korea	8-10%	Low risk
Scandinavia	6-8%	Intermediate
Mediterranean	5-7%	Intermediate
USA	4-5%	High risk
UK/Germany	4-5%	High risk
Middle East	3-4%	Very high risk

Key insight: Most of the world's population has omega-3 levels below the cardioprotective threshold of 8%.

Dietary correlates:

•Fish consumption primary determinant
•Supplementation effective but varies by product
•Genetic variation affects conversion from ALA

Mechanistic Insights

Regional differences reflect:

•Traditional diet patterns (fish consumption)
•Food supply (aquaculture availability)
•Supplement use prevalence
•Genetic background (FADS variants)

Clinical Implications

Most populations would benefit from increased omega-3 intake. Testing provides individual assessment—diet history alone is insufficient due to absorption variability.

Metabolic Health Perspective

This survey reveals a global omega-3 deficiency affecting cardiovascular and metabolic health. Achieving an Omega-3 Index ≥8% is a reasonable target for metabolic optimization.