HEALTH ALERT: LOW OMEGA-3 INTAKE LINKED TO COGNITIVE DECLINE

LOW OMEGA-3 INTAKE LINKED TO COGNITIVE DECLINE

Published April 28, 2014 in Food Product Design

Posted in News, Science & Research, Omega-3s, Brain Health, Seafood, Fish, Fish Oil, Nuts, Nuts and Seeds, Fats/Oils, Legumes, Fatty Acids, Healthy, Healthy Foods, Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA),Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), Functional Foods

SAN DIEGO—A growing body of research indicates that consuming foods with high omega-3 fatty acid content, such as seafood, nuts and legumes, benefits brain health and prevents the decline of cognitive function, according to new research presented at the Experimental Biology 2014 meeting. However, many Americans do not receive adequate intake of these crucial nutrients.

Although some research shows no relation between omega-3s and cognitive health, the importance of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to brain health has been demonstrated in multiple previous studies. To assess whether lower dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) were risk factors for cognitive decline, a team of researchers led by Tammy Scott, Ph.D., a scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, conducted a longitudinal, observational study using the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study cohort.

Participants went through a series of cognitive tests in order, such as memory tests using a list of words, an attention test to repeat lists of numbers forward and backward, and a test of organization and planning involving copying complex figures. To determine the participants’ intake of PUFAs, they were given a questionnaire. The results were determined by comparing baseline test numbers to a follow-up test given two years later.

The researchers found that the intake of omega-3 PUFAs in the study sample of 895 participants was low. The 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommended an intake of 8 ounces (or more) of seafood per week to ensure an adequate intake of the very long chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). This translates to about 1,750 mg of EPA and DHA per week, which averages to 250 mg per day. Scott’s group reported that only 27% of the participants in their study met or exceeded that recommendation. The major source of EPA and DHA in their diets appeared to be from canned tuna. Based on the scientists’ findings, being in the lowest four quintiles of EPA and DHA intake was predictive of cognitive decline over two years.
“While more research is needed to determine whether intake of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and trout can help prevent against cognitive decline, our preliminary data support previous research showing that intake of these types of fish have health benefits," Scott said.

Sources:

• Experimental Biology: Diet can predict cognitive decline

HEALTH ALERT: FDA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON CERTAIN NUTRIENT CLAIMS FOR OMEGA-3S

FDA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON CERTAIN NUTRIENT CLAIMS FOR OMEGA-3S

Published April 25, 2014 in Food Product Design

Posted in News, Regulatory, Federal Register, Omega-3s, Fatty Acids, Fats/Oils, Health Claims,Labeling, Label Claims, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA)

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is publishing a final rule prohibiting certain nutrient content claims for foods that contain the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Specifically, the rule prohibits statements on the labels of food products, including dietary supplements, that claim the products are “high in" DHA or EPA, and synonyms such as “rich in" and “excellent source of." The final rule similarly prohibits some such claims for ALA. The final rule takes no action with respect to other such claims for ALA.

Under the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act nutrient content claims such as “high in" are allowed only for nutrients for which a reference level to which the claim refers has been set. FDA can set such nutrient levels by regulation, or in some situations, if the requirements of the Act have been met, such nutrient levels can be based on authoritative statements published by certain types of scientific bodies, such as the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM).

FDA has not established nutrient levels that can serve as the basis for nutrient content claims for DHA, EPA or ALA. In 2004 and 2005, FDA received notifications asserting that the IOM had issued authoritative statements that identified such nutrient levels for DHA, EPA and ALA. There were multiple notifications that identified multiple, sometimes conflicting nutrient levels for these three omega-3 fatty acids.

FDA determined that none of the claims meet the requirements of the Act, and the final rule prohibits all of these claims. With respect to the two sets of nutrient content claims for ALA that were identified in the notifications (which differed in that each set identified a different nutrient level), FDA determined that one of these sets of claims did not meet the requirements of the Act. The final rule, which will be published April 28 in the Federal Register, therefore prohibits that set of claims. FDA is taking no regulatory action at this time with respect to the other set of nutrient content claims for ALA, which will therefore be allowed to remain on the market.

Sources:

• Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition: FDA Finalizes Rule Prohibiting Certain Nutrient Content Claims for DHA, EPA, and ALA Omega-3 Fatty Acids