Abstract
Numerous United Kingdom and European Union expert panels recommend that the general adult population consumes ~250 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day through the consumption of one portion of oily fish per week. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are only found in appreciable amounts in marine organisms. Increasing oily fish consumption conflicts with sustaining fisheries, so alternative dietary sources of EPA and DHA must be explored. Mussels are high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a good source of essential amino acids. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of introducing mussels as a protein source in the lunchtime meal three times per week for two weeks on the omega-3 status of free-living participants. Following an initial two-week monitoring period, 12 participants (eight male and four female) attended the nutrition laboratory three times per week for two weeks. Each participant received a personalised lunch constituting one-third of their typical daily calorie consumption with ~20% of the calories supplied as cooked mussels. A portion of cooked mussels from each feeding occasion was tested for total omega-3 content. The mean ± SD mussel EPA + DHA content was 518.9 ± 155.7 mg/100 g cooked weight, meaning that each participant received on average 709.2 ± 252.6 mg of EPA + DHA per meal or 304.0 ± 108.2 mg of EPA + DHA per day. Blood spot analysis revealed a significant increase in the omega-3 index (week 1 = 4.27 ± 0.81; week 4 = 5.07 ± 1.00) and whole blood EPA content during the study (%EPA week 1 = 0.70 ± 0.0.35; %EPA week 4 = 0.98 ± 0.35). Consuming mussels three times per week for two weeks as the protein source in a personalised lunchtime meal is sufficient to moderately improve the omega-3 index and whole blood DHA + EPA content in young healthy adults.
Highlights
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set the adequate combined intake for the marine-based long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as 250 mg/day [1]
The National Health Service (NHS) in the U.K. recommends that the general adult population achieve this intake target through the consumption of one portion (~140 g/portion) of Nutrients 2019, 11, 1381; doi:10.3390/nu11061381
The general public seem to be disproportionately concerned with the toxin content of oily fish rather than the nutrient content [7], possibly resulting in reluctance to increase consumption
Summary
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set the adequate combined intake for the marine-based long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as 250 mg/day [1]. Given the potential health benefits of EPA and DHA [5], the advice to the general adult population is to increase consumption of oily fish, but this advice conflicts with achieving and maintaining sustainable fisheries. As a result of the conflicts between the advice to consume more oily fish, public concern over toxin content, and the negative impact that increasing consumption would have on marine biodiversity, it is crucial that we explore alternative food sources of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. One such source is shellfish and, in particular, mussels
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