ALA reicht aus, EPA/DHA Supplementierung vermutlich unnötig

What about vegans, vegetarians and those who simply cannot stand fish? How do they obtain EPA and DHA?

It has long been known, through studies carried out in adult humans, that the body partially converts ALA into other omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. That is why ALA is known as the parent of all the omega-3 fatty acids. However, according to current scientific reviews, the proportion of ALA converted to EPA is very low, and conversion to DHA is less clear. There are gender differences in conversion. Conversion is substantially greater in women of childbearing age than in healthy men of a similar age. However, the story could also be different in non-fish eaters.

A UK research group, led by Dr Ailsa Welch at the University of East Anglia, estimated dietary intakes and blood levels of ALA, EPA and DHA among 4,902 fish-eaters and non-fish-eating meat-eaters, vegetarians or vegans. Surprisingly, despite the significantly lower intakes of EPA and DHA among non-fish-eaters, their blood levels of EPA and DHA were much more similar to those of regular fish eaters. The researchers estimated the conversion of ALA into EPA and DHA by calculating the ratio of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to plant-derived dietary ALA. This ratio was significantly greater in all the non-fish-eating groups than in the fish eaters, suggesting that in non-fish-eaters the body may compensate for the lack of EPA and DHA by boosting its conversion of ALA from plant foods.

The researchers commented: “The implications of this study are that, if conversion of plant-based sources of n-3 PUFAs were found to occur in intervention studies, and were sufficient to maintain health, it could have significant consequences for public health recommendations and for preservation of the wild fish supply.”