Dietary omega-3 deficiency caused more than one million deaths in 2013

Insufficient Omega 3 intake is one of the leading risk factors for death and loss of life years due to disease, worldwide. In fact, a diet low in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) caused more than one million deaths in 2013. These are some of the figures from the 2013 Global burden of Disease Study, the new global report on disease and mortality.

In an article published in the prestigious journal The Lancet in 2015, researchers from research centers in different parts of the world published some of the findings regarding the major health risk factors for the world's population that emerged from the 2013 report. The GBD assessed the impact of diseases, in terms of mortality and disability, using specific indices including also the DALY (i.e., disability-adjusted life expectancy), which expresses the number of years of life lost due to disease, disability or premature death. Data reported by The Lancet in recent months focus on determining health risk factors, particularly those modifiable by appropriate behaviors, facilitating the identification of emerging population threats and opportunities for prevention.

Fruit, vegetable and omega-3 deficiency: the cause of millions of deaths each year 

According to data from the study, behavioral, environmental, occupational and metabolic risks are able to explain half of the overall mortality and more than one-third of the years of life lost. Specifically, this new report identifies the risk factors that caused more than 5 percent of DALYs. Data collected from 188 countries showed that in 2013, risks inherent in poor dietary behaviors accounted for 10.4 million deaths and 241.4 million years of life lost. 

Risk factors vary between regions and countries as well as with time. Malnutrition, maternal and child, was the cause of 1.7 million deaths and 176.9 million years of life lost and is very common in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, behavioral risks include childhood undernutrition, insufficient fruit consumption, low consumption of whole grains, iron deficiency, insufficient maternal breastfeeding, poor consumption of vegetables, nuts and seeds, omega-3 deficiency, low fiber, and vitamin A deficiency. In addition to highlighting that insufficient omega-3 intake is among the top 25 global risk factors for death and DALYs, the researchers estimated that EPA and DHA deficiency caused 1.03 million deaths and 22.4 million years of life lost in 2013. 

In the same year, the other dietary risk factors contributing to global population deaths were diets low in fruits (3,413 million), whole grains (2,049 million), and vegetables (1,782 million) followed by child undernutrition (1,327 million), diets low in nuts and seeds (1,195 million), and a diet low in fiber (1,009 million).

Confirmation of the importance of a diet rich in omega-3s

The research thus reveals the relevance of omega-3s on health, and the authors themselves acknowledge the benefits of consuming 200-300 milligrams of omega-3s per day taken by consuming the right amounts of fish. The beneficial action of EPA and DHA is mainly due to their ability to reduce blood triglyceride levels and protect cardiovascular health. In this regard, a report published in the journal JAMA a few months ago found that, in the United States alone, nearly $4 billion in spending on coronary heart disease treatment could be saved if adults over the age of 55 increased their omega-3 intake between 2013 and 2020. 

Sources: GBD 2013 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioral, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. 2015 Lancet doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00128-2 Frost & Sullivan's Report - Smart Prevention - Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements. Fish oil supplements. 2015 JAMA doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.9578 *) Adam Ismail is president of the GOED Omega-3 Association.