Health benefits of omega-3-fatty acids and the contribution of products from mountain pastures to the supply

Karin Wehrmüller, Alexandra Schmid, Barbara Walther, Bern

Alpha-Linolenic acid and linoleic acid (LA) are essential fatty acids, used by the body to assemble two different series of long chain (LC) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

However, the rate of conversion of ALA to EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is very low. Because of this low rate of conversion, it is recommended that 300–400 mg EPA and DHA should be consumed per day. There have been many publications about the correlation between low rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and high levels of consumption of fish or fish oil. In contrast, there is only limited evidence of a direct effect of ALA on the risk of CVD.

It is most often suggested that there may be an indirect effect of ALA, as a precursor of n-3 LC PUFA. People living in Switzerland and neighbouring areas do not eat much fatty sea fish (the source of n-3 LC PUFA). As a consequence, milk and meat products will make some contribution to the recommended quantity of n-3 fatty acids. Products from high mountain pastures are richer in ALA, EPA and DHA, because of the greater proportion of pasture feeding. The n-3 PUFA concentration in animal products is much higher with pasture feeding than with a high proportion of concentrated feed. Nevertheless, these quantities are not large enough to provide a substantial nutritional or physiological contribution to the supply of ALA or LC PUFA.

Keywords: omega-3-fatty acids, milk, meat, mountain pasture production, pasture feeding

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs Umschau 11/08 ab Seite 655.