Low dietary intake of marine n-3 fatty acids and seafood significantly contributes to metabolic syndrome burden in China

Abstract

Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and seafood intakes have been shown to decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), whereas data on related MetS burden in China remain absent. We hypothesize that low marine n-3 PUFAs and seafood consumption are a significant contributor to the burden of MetS in China. The time trend of marine n-3 PUFAs consumption and seafood was evaluated based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey. We used the comparative risk assessment method to estimate the population attributable fraction of MetS cases attributable to the low marine n-3 PUFAs and seafood consumption. We also projected the intakes of marine n-3 PUFAs and seafood and the related MetS burden from 2011 to 2031. The overall intakes of marine n-3 PUFAs (40.4 mg/day) and seafood (32.6 g/day) were far below the optimal level in 2011. The low intakes of marine n-3 PUFAs and seafood were estimated to be responsible for 8.1% and 2.2% of the MetS burden, accounting for 17.0 and 4.6 million MetS cases, respectively, according to the International Diabetes Federation definition in 2011. Although marine n-3 PUFAs and seafood intakes are projected to increase for the next 20 years, the intake levels would still be inadequate and are expected to contribute to 11.3 (marine n-3 PUFAs) and 2.2 (seafood) million MetS cases in 2031. Dietary guidelines should continue to highlight increasing marine n-3 PUFAs and seafood consumption to reduce the MetS burden in China.