Most People Don’t Get Enough of Key Nutrients Linked to A...

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By Lucy Notarantonio

Senior Life and Trends Reporter

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More than three-quarters of the global population are not getting enough of key nutrients linked to lifelong health and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.

New research has found that 76 percent of people worldwide are not meeting the recommended intakea of omega-3 fatty acids—specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both found in oily fish.

Newsweek spoke to general practitioner Dr. Tony Banerjee, who has two decades of experience. He said: “Omega-3 fatty acids aren’t a wellness fad; they are essential nutrients linked to heart health, brain development, inflammation control and healthy ageing.”

Adults are recommended to consume 250 mg per day of combined EPA and DHA, with an additional 100–200 mg of DHA advised for pregnant women.

However, Dr. Abbie Cawood, who was involved in the study and is the science director at Holland & Barrett and a visiting research fellow at the University of Southampton, said in a statement: “Achieving recommended intakes from diet alone can be challenging.”

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What Is Omega-3?

The British Heart Foundation, a UK-based charity that funds cardiovascular research, explains that the body needs omega-3s to function but can’t make them itself, so they must come from food.

The omega-3s most important for health are:

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): found in certain nuts and seeds and oils made from them.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): found in mainly in oily fish but also white fish and seafood.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): mainly in oily fish but also white fish and seafood.

ALA is the only omega-3 that’s truly essential because our bodies can not produce it. We can convert a small amount of ALA into EPA and DHA, but not enough to rely on— so it is still useful to eat foods that provide EPA and DHA directly.

Why Omega-3 Matters Across the Lifespan

Omega-3 consumption supports a healthy lifestyle at every stage of life—from lowering the chance of pre-term birth and aiding visual and cognitive development in infants, to improving cardiovascular health and immune function later on. It is also associated with a reduced risk of depression and cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Banerjee, the founder of private healthcare service HarleyDoc, said meeting the guidelines is easier said than done for many due to several factors, including:

cost-of-living pressures
reduced fish availability in certain regions
cultural dietary patterns

He added: “There’s widespread misunderstanding of what constitutes ‘enough’ omega-3. These factors all play a role. Even in countries with abundant seafood, many individuals simply don’t consume oily fish regularly enough to reach recommended intakes.”

How to Increase Omega-3 Intake

Banerjee explained that the most effective approach for those who eat fish involves eating oily varieties once or twice per week. The richest sources are mackerel, salmon, sardines, herring and anchovies—cold-water species naturally high in EPA and DHA.

But not everyone likes fish, can afford it or follows a meat-based diet; therefore, supplementation is often the only viable strategy.

Banerjee said: “A good supplement should provide at least 500 mg of combined EPA/DHA per day, be tested for purity and oxidation, and ideally come in triglyceride form for better absorption. For vegetarians and vegans, algae-derived omega-3s offer an effective alternative.”

Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about omega-3 fatty acids? Let us know via [email protected].

Reference

Calder, P. C., Cawood, A. L., James, C., Page, F., Putnam, S., & Minihane, A. M. (2025). An overview of national and international long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake recommendations for healthy populations. Nutrition Research Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422425100279

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