A new study suggests that almost all adults in Western countries still fall far below optimal blood levels of these important nutrients. The study, published in a recent issue of Nutrients, found that 98% of participants from the US and Germany, fell below the optimum 8.0 Omega-3 Index Level. More than half of the participants in the US (69%) and Germany (56%) believed a balanced diet can be achieved through food alone and that dietary supplements are not required.
Despite the knowledge about omega-3s, researchers found that actual blood levels fell far below targets in both countries. Levels were generally higher in Germany (4-6.25) than the US (3.25-5.75). Only one subject in the US and two in Germany achieved the optimal level of 8.0.