Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in Japan

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Hi All,

 

I encourage you to read the following two papers. It is not too heavy

 

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Full text:

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/71/1/189

Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in Japan

 

" The amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the food chain in Japan is

reviewed on the basis of the newest

nutrition survey data.

 

The Japanese are currently consuming, on average, 26% of energy as fats with

ratios of polyunsaturated to saturated fats

and n-6 to n-3 fatty acids of 1.2:1 and 4:1, respectively.

 

The significant contributors to this relatively high n-3 PUFA intake are not

only fish and shellfish but also edible

vegetable oils, almost exclusively rapeseed and soybean oils.

 

Thus, the dietary habits of the Japanese have made possible a high n-3 PUFA

intake within a low-fat regimen.

 

In this context, the gradual decline, particularly in younger persons, in fish

consumption habits weighs on our minds.

 

Analyses of health indexes, including the increased average life span, support

the superiority of the current Japanese

eating pattern that harmonizes with the Western regimens.

 

However, at present it cannot be disregarded that food intake varies

considerably in all age groups, and only a limited

number of people are consuming the recommended allowance for dietary fats. "

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

0642896 & dopt=Abstract

Int J Vitam Nutr Res 1999 Nov;69(6):385-95 Books

Serum concentrations of carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol, fatty acids, and lipid

peroxides among Japanese in Japan, and

Japanese and Caucasians in the US.

Ito Y, Shimizu H, Yoshimura T, Ross RK, Kabuto M, Takatsuka N, Tokui N, Suzuki

K, Shinohara R.

Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences,

Ioyoake, Japan.

 

Serum concentrations of carotenoids, alpha-tocopherol, fatty acids, and

thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS)

were measured in 217 Japanese residents of Japan, and in 99 Japanese and 100

Caucasian residents of the US, aged from 50

y to 74 y.

 

In females, serum values of carotenoids such as beta-carotene (BC) and

zeaxanthin & lutein (ZL) were highest among

Japanese in Japan, followed by Japanese in the US and Caucasians in the US.

 

In males, these values, except for serum BC values, were also highest among

Japanese in Japan.

 

Moreover, serum values of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFAs) such as

eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic

acid were significantly higher among Japanese in Japan than among Japanese and

Caucasians in the US in both sexes.

 

In contrast, serum values of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic

acid [LA..gw] and arachidonic acid

[AA..gw] were lowest among Japanese in Japan.

 

For women, serum levels of n-9 unsaturated fatty acids were lowest among

Japanese living in Japan.

 

Serum TBARS values were highest among Japanese in Japan, followed by Japanese in

the US and Caucasians in the US.

 

A significant positive correlation was observed between serum values of TBARS

and n-3 PUFAs among Japanese both in Japan

and in the US.

 

Serum TBARS values showed a significant inverse relationship with the serum

values of BC and ZL among Japanese in Japan

and with those of BC among Japanese in the US.

 

These relationships were not always observed among Caucasians in the US.

 

The results of this study suggest that the high TBARS values among Japanese in

Japan may depend in part on lipid

peroxidation induced in vitro by n-3PUFAs, while high reduction of lipid

peroxidation could be expected among Japanese

in Japan with high antioxidants such as BC and ZL.

 

In conclusion, serum levels of nonprovitamin A carotenoids such as ZL may be a

useful intake marker of vegetables.

 

Dietary intakes of dark green vegetables and fish rich in n-3PUFAs might be more

important in the prevention of some

sites of cancer and of ischemic heart disease.

 

PMID: 10642896 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

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Bottom line, eat your Omega 3's but also eat plenty of dark green

veggies........

 

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Good Health & Long Life,

Greg Watson,

gowatson