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Table 3 Dietary survey of intake of ARA, EPA and DHA in adult humans (> 1000 participants in a study and from January 2001)

From: Intake of arachidonic acid-containing lipids in adult humans: dietary surveys and clinical trials

Country

Participant

Dietary surveyc

LCPUFA intake (mg/day)d

Ref.

Sexa

Age (y)b

Other classification

N

ARA

EPA

DHA

Europe

 Finland

M&F

30–49

–

1212

FFQ

95 ± 0.84e

160 ± 3.1e

420 ± 8.7e

[31]

50-79

–

980

97 ± 1.1e

190 ± 4.6e

510 ± 13e

 

 France

M

45–63

–

2099

ten 24-h DR

204 ± 66

150 ± 112

273 ± 191

[24]

F

35–63

–

2785

152 ± 49

118 ± 94

226 ± 171

 

 Germany

M

45–65

Heidelberg

1013

24-h recall

230 ± 250

100 ± 300

190 ± 480

[32]

 

Potsdam

1032

230 ± 250

130 ± 380

210 ± 490

 

F

35–64

Heidelberg

1078

160 ± 190

70 ± 230

140 ± 330

 
 

Potsdam

898

140 ± 160

80 ± 230

140 ± 280

 

 Spain

F

20–79

–

1865

FFQ

290 ± 110

220 ± 90

300 ± 120

[33]

 United Kingdom

M&F

16–79

–

1455

FFQ

9f

290f

380f

[25]

North America

 United States

F

> 45

Health Professional

37,547

FFQ

70f

20f

60f

[34]

 United States

M&F

> 30

–

2837

FFQ

120 ± 80

45 ± 50

82 ± 73

[35]

 United States

F

< 65

–

1500

FFQ

70 ± 60

40 ± 50

90 ± 90

[36]

 United States &Canada

M&F

> 30

Nonvegetarian

33,634

FFQ

84 ± 0.3e

ndg

182 ± 1.2e

[37]

 

Semi-vegetarian

4042

27 ± 0.7e

nd

70 ± 3.6e

 
 

Pesco vegetarian

6583

44 ± 0.6e

nd

187 ± 2.8e

 
 

Lacto-ovo vegetarian

21,799

13 ± 0.3e

nd

34 ± 1.5e

 
 

Strict vegetarian

5694

3 ± 0.6e

nd

18 ± 3e

 

Africa, Asia and Oceania

 Australia

M

> 19

–

5081

24-h recall

191 ± 2e

91 ± 3e

117 ± 5e

[38]

F

> 19

–

5770

117 ± 2e

60 ± 2e

83 ± 3e

 

 China

F

40–70

–

74,943

FFQ

50f

ndh

ndh

[39]

 Japan

M

40–49

–

241

3-day DR

179 ± 66

233 ± 211

437 ± 331

[40]

50–59

–

268

185 ± 64

368 ± 296

662 ± 476

 

60–69

–

262

182 ± 63

403 ± 263

718 ± 422

 

70–79

–

243

171 ± 64

390 ± 257

692 ± 437

 

F

40–49

–

263

153 ± 52

217 ± 185

414 ± 305

 

50–59

–

259

148 ± 51

268 ± 202

487 ± 322

 

60–69

–

261

149 ± 53

300 ± 196

532 ± 312

 

70–79

–

245

144 ± 55

300 ± 219

525 ± 340

 

 South Africa

M

> 35

Rural

333

FFQ

34f

38f

62f

[41]

 

Urban

393

102f

61f

101f

 

F

> 35

Rural

633

33f

33f

52f

 
 

Urban

591

94f

46f

83f

 
  1. aM male, F female
  2. bMean or range
  3. cFFQ food frequency questionnaire, DR diet record
  4. dData are the mean ± SD without annotation. Original data are rounded to nearest mg
  5. eMean ± SE
  6. fMedian
  7. gnd not described
  8. hMedian of (EPA + DHA) is 70 mg/d