Futuristic food fortification with a balanced ratio of dietary ω-3/ω-6 omega fatty acids for the prevention of lifestyle diseases
Alok Patel, Sneha Sawant Desai, Varsha Kelkar Mane, Josefine Enman, Ulrika Rova, Paul Christakopoulos +1 more
Trends in Food Science & Technology
Abstract
Over the last three decades, consumption of total and saturated fat has steadily declined in Western diets as a proportion of calories intake. At the same time, omega (ω)-6 fatty acid intake has risen at the expense of ω-3 fatty acids, resulting in an ω-6/ω-3 ratio of 20:1 or higher. The observed changes in fatty acids ratio coincide with a significantly increased prevalence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune or neurodegenerative disorders. The low intake of ω-3 fatty acids may be attributed to their absence from the diet or lack of awareness about suitable dietary sources. A sustainable and cost-effective way of reaching a large population with essential ω-3 fatty acids is fortification of staple foods. A variety of food items enriched with ω-3 have entered the market in recent years, including beef, fish, dairy products, cereals, cereal bars, and infant formula. The present review discusses the role of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids, as well as their ratio, on human health. Additionally, it focuses on the latest developments regarding dietary sources, innovative technologies, and challenges of food fortification with ω-3 fatty acids.
Extracted Claims
2 claims extracted from this paper into the knowledge graph
ω-3 fatty acids prevents lifestyle diseases
“A sustainable and cost-effective way of reaching a large population with essential ω-3 fatty acids is fortification of staple foods.”
ω-6/ω-3 ratio affects prevalence of lifestyle diseases
“The observed changes in fatty acids ratio coincide with a significantly increased prevalence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune or...”