09.01.09
A new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found omega 3 deficient diets cause up to 96,000 preventable deaths annually in the U.S. “The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors” study published in the April 2009 issue of PLoS Medicine estimated the number of deaths resulting from 12 different modifiable and preventable causes to determine how many deaths were attributable to these factors.
Of the 12 dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors examined in the study, omega 3 fatty acid deficiency ranked as the sixth highest killer of Americans, responsible for a whopping 72,000 to 96,000 preventable deaths yearly. Omega 3 fatty acid deficiency even beat out high trans fat intake, which is responsible for an estimated 63,000 to 97,000 deaths annually.
“The numbers are shocking, especially given that these deaths are preventable with omega 3 EPA/DHA supplementation,” said Ocean Nutrition Canada’s vice president, Marketing and Communications, Lori Covert. “We know that daily doses of omega 3 EPA/DHA can help with many conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and we’re committed to increasing consumer awareness about the drastic omega 3 EPA/DHA deficiency in the Western diet.”
Tobacco smoking ranked as the highest risk factor with 436,000 to 500,000 attributed preventable deaths, followed by high blood pressure (372,000 to 414,000), obesity (188,000 to 237,000), physical inactivity (164,000 to 222,000) and high salt intake (97,000 to 107,000).
According to Ocean Nutrition Canada, studies such as this are becoming increasingly important in the U.S. and around the world as healthcare costs skyrocket. Policymakers use these studies to determine leading causes of mortality among populations, and then to develop and implement public health policies and legislation to help reduce exposure and to prevent death from certain risk factors.
Of the 12 dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors examined in the study, omega 3 fatty acid deficiency ranked as the sixth highest killer of Americans, responsible for a whopping 72,000 to 96,000 preventable deaths yearly. Omega 3 fatty acid deficiency even beat out high trans fat intake, which is responsible for an estimated 63,000 to 97,000 deaths annually.
“The numbers are shocking, especially given that these deaths are preventable with omega 3 EPA/DHA supplementation,” said Ocean Nutrition Canada’s vice president, Marketing and Communications, Lori Covert. “We know that daily doses of omega 3 EPA/DHA can help with many conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, and we’re committed to increasing consumer awareness about the drastic omega 3 EPA/DHA deficiency in the Western diet.”
Tobacco smoking ranked as the highest risk factor with 436,000 to 500,000 attributed preventable deaths, followed by high blood pressure (372,000 to 414,000), obesity (188,000 to 237,000), physical inactivity (164,000 to 222,000) and high salt intake (97,000 to 107,000).
According to Ocean Nutrition Canada, studies such as this are becoming increasingly important in the U.S. and around the world as healthcare costs skyrocket. Policymakers use these studies to determine leading causes of mortality among populations, and then to develop and implement public health policies and legislation to help reduce exposure and to prevent death from certain risk factors.