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Review
. 2024 Feb 2:11:1325099.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1325099. eCollection 2024.

Optimal omegas - barriers and novel methods to narrow omega-3 gaps. A narrative review

Emma J Derbyshire  1 , Catherine S Birch  2 , Graham A Bonwick  2 , Ashley English  3 , Phil Metcalfe  4 , Weili Li  5
Affiliations
Review

Optimal omegas - barriers and novel methods to narrow omega-3 gaps. A narrative review

Emma J Derbyshire et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Dietary intakes of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (O3LC-PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid are central to development and health across the life course. O3LC-PUFAs have been linked to neurological development, maternal and child health and the etiology of certain non-communicable diseases including age-related cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. However, dietary inadequacies exist in the United Kingdom and on a wider global scale. One predominant dietary source of O3LC-PUFAs is fish and fish oils. However, growing concerns about overfishing, oceanic contaminants such as dioxins and microplastics and the trend towards plant-based diets appear to be acting as cumulative barriers to O3LC-PUFAs from these food sources. Microalgae are an alternative provider of O3LC-PUFA-rich oils. The delivery of these into food systems is gaining interest. The present narrative review aims to discuss the present barriers to obtaining suitable levels of O3LC-PUFAs for health and wellbeing. It then discusses potential ways forward focusing on innovative delivery methods to utilize O3LC-PUFA-rich oils including the use of fortification strategies, bioengineered plants, microencapsulation, and microalgae.

Keywords: bioavailability; delivery methods; docosahexaenoic acid; eicosapentaenoic acid; food fortification; long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; microalgae; microencapsulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

ED was employed by Nutritional Insight Limited. CB and GB were employed by AgriFood X Limited. AE was employed by HTC Group Limited. PM was employed by Efficiency Technologies Limited. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Omega-6 and omega-3 metabolic pathways. Source: Adapted from Miles and Calder (2) and Bird et al. (3).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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