Adequacy of Essential Fatty Acid Intake in a Vegan Diet

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) are important nutrients that protect against risk for coronary heart disease, depression, dementia and neurological and behavioral disorders.  Because the main food sources of omega-3 fatty acids are fish and fish oils, vegetarian diets tend to be deficient.  If vegetarians and vegans consume enough nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables, they may obtain enough alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) to be converted in the body to EPA and DHA..  It is possible that many vegans obtain sufficient DHA due to conversion from ALA, but this has not been adequately determined.  There is evidence that the conversion rate from ALA to DHA is very low and this nutrient is likely to be inadequate in the unsupplemented vegan diet.  Therefore, a major concern for those following a vegan diet is obtaining enough DHA.

 
A number of studies with vegetarian and vegan subjects ages 11 to 66 have shown low plasma levels of EPA and DHA. Blood levels of DHA were found to be between 32 to 65% of the levels for nonvegetarians.  All of these studies had small samples of vegan participants (7 to 24) and none included vegans over age 66.  In his private practice, Joel Fuhrman, M.D., has found that some of his elderly vegan male patients with Parkinson’s disease have had very low levels of DHA in their blood despite intake of adequate ALA from nuts and seeds.  Recent research exploring the effects of DHA on monkeys treated with a neurotoxin that induced Parkinson’s- like symptoms, showed that DHA adequacy reduced the severity and delayed the onset of these symptoms in the monkeys.  The researchers suggested that human studies needed to be done to test whether DHA improves the quality of life of Parkinson’s disease patients. It would also be useful to determine whether adequate DHA intake has protective effects against the development of Parkinson’s.  
The need for supplementation with non-animal sources of EPA and DHA is not widely known among those following the vegan diet.  An important first step in the effort to educate vegans about the need for supplementation is to document the level of these nutrients in the blood for a large sample of vegans over a wide age range.  


This study will involve a national sample of over 200 male and female adults following a vegan diet for at least 3 years.  The age range will be as wide as possible.  Subjects will be recruited across the United States through ads in vegetarian/vegan magazines, websites and via physicians’ offices who are advocates of a vegan diet.  Participants will complete an online questionnaire and give a blood sample at a laboratory drawing station near their home.  All blood samples will be sent to one laboratory for analysis.  Participants will receive a $20.00 gift card for their participation and will get a report of their essential fatty acid levels and suggestions for improving their fatty acid profile if EPA and DHA are found to be below the normal range.  Some participants may be offered free DHA.
Results for this study will include fatty acid blood plasma levels for vegans of various ages, 3-day diet information, supplement use, health status and information on conditions such as dry skin, tremors, poor sleep, frequent urination, depression, anxiety, and memory difficulty.  Results will be analyzed and written up for publication in a scientific journal.


Researchers conducting this project:


Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
Director of Research
The Nutritional Research Project
NutritionalResearch.org

Kristine Kelsey, Ph.D., R.D.
Research Associate
Nutritional Research Project
Barbara Sarter, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-C, DiHom
Associate Professor
Hahn School of Nursing and Health Sciences
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
619-260-4577
bsarter@sandiego.edu