n-3 fatty acids from vegetable oils

Principal food sources of the n-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid are salad and cooking oil, salad dressing, shortening, margarine, and food-service fat and oil products made from canola oil or soybean oil. Using food production data provided by US trade associations and by Statistics Canada, I estimated the per capita availability of α-linolenic acid from vegetable-oil products in the United States to be ∼ 1.2 g/d and in Canada, ∼ 2 g/d. The higher α-linolenic acid availability in Canada is largely accounted for by widespread use of canola oil there. Considering also contributions to dietary α-linolenic acid of other foods such as nuts, dairy products, and vegetables, it would appear that total intake of α-linolenic acid in US and Canadian diets adequately exceeds the reported nutritional requirement. Emerging research has suggested possible health benefits associated with modest increases in dietary α-linolenic acid, including reduced blood-clotting tendency and reduced blood pressure.