Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in Japan.

The amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the food chain in Japan is reviewed on the basis of the newest nutrition survey data. The Japanese are currently consuming, on average, approximately 26% of energy as fats with ratios of polyunsaturated to saturated fats and n-6 to n-3 fatty acids of approximately 1.2:1 and 4:1, respectively. The significant contributors to this relatively high n-3 PUFA intake are not only fish and shellfish but also edible vegetable oils, almost exclusively rapeseed and soybean oils. Thus, the dietary habits of the Japanese have made possible a high n-3 PUFA intake within a low-fat regimen. In this context, the gradual decline, particularly in younger persons, in fish consumption habits weighs on our minds. Analyses of health indexes, including the increased average life span, support the superiority of the current Japanese eating pattern that harmonizes with the Western regimens. However, at present it cannot be disregarded that food intake varies considerably in all age groups, and only a limited number of people are consuming the recommended allowance for dietary fats.