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In the news: Younger Women Fall Short on Omega-3s; Omega-3s May Help Depressed Older Individuals

Diets Fall Short in Omega-3s for Women Who Are or May Become Pregnant

Pregnant women and women who fall into the age range (15-44 years) where pregnancy usually occurs, aren’t eating enough omega-3 rich seafood according to a new study by Pennsylvania State University nutrition researchers.

The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are important both to a mother and her developing infant. The DHA that’s consumed by a mom-to-be may help reduce the risk of premature birth, and is important for her fetus’s brain and visual development, as well as immunity. Some studies have also linked better circulating levels of these fatty acids during pregnancy with a lower risk of postpartum depression.

The researchers analyzed data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2014)
to see how EPA and DHA intakes among pregnant and childbearing-aged women stack up against current intake recommendations (1).

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that people consume about 8 oz. per week of a variety of seafood, which equates to about 250 mg of EPA + DHA daily. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the Guidelines call for consuming 8-12 oz. of seafood weekly.

For women in their childbearing years, the average intake was less than ½ oz of seafood daily, with 100% of this group falling short of Guideline recommendations. The average usual intake of EPA + DHA per day from seafood and supplements combined was about 88 mg – far short of the recommended 250 mg.

Similar results were seen for pregnant women, though they noted that intake had increased slightly over the 14-year period.

The authors conclude that childbearing aged, pregnant and breastfeeding women are not meeting dietary recommendations for seafood intake, and as a result have low intakes of EPA and DHA. Concern about the potential content of methylmercury in some fish may deter moms-to- be from eating more seafood. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition website offers sound advice for choosing the safest seafood during pregnancy and lactation. Greater use of fortified foods and omega-3 supplements can also help fill the EPA/DHA dietary gap.
(https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/PeopleAtRisk/ucm593058.htm).

Omega-3s & Depression in Older Individuals

Depression in older adults is fairly common, affecting roughly 6 million Americans ages 65 and older, though only 10% receive treatment for depression. While the omega-3s may hold promise in helping manage depression, there have been no reviews of intervention trials testing these fatty acids specifically in depressed people older than 65.

To better clarify the effects of the omega-3 fatty acids in older adults, researchers analyzed the results of 6 trials that included 4605 male and female patients, with an average age of 77 years (2). The average dose of omega-3 intake across the trials was 1.3 grams daily.

The review and analysis found that depressive symptoms experienced by elderly participants with mild to moderate depression improved in response to omega- 3 PUFAs, while the fatty acids had no significant effect in elderly subjects without depressed mood.

According to the authors, depression reflects a chemical imbalance in the brain, the root cause of which is excess inflammation in the body. They suggest that the omega-3s may help in depression because of their anti-inflammatory actions and by affecting the actions of neurotransmitters.

References

1. Zhang Z, et al. Dietary intakes of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids among US childbearing-age and pregnant women: An analysis of NHANES 2001-2014. Nutrients 10:416, 2018.
2. Bae J, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of omega-3 fatty acids in elderly patients with depression. Nutr Res 50:1-9, 2018.