New Delhi:Over three-fourth of the world's population is not getting the recommended intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, revealing a significant global public health gap, according to a new study.

Sources of the healthy fats include fish such as salmon and plant-based ones flaxseeds and chia seeds.

Author Abbie Cawood, science director at Holland & Barrett and visiting research fellow at the UK's University of Southampton, said, "The health benefits of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are too important to ignore."

"In fact, our review highlights that supplementation is often required to meet recommended intakes especially in pregnancy and those with low fish intakes.

We are hopeful that this publication can act as an enabler to inform omega-3 dietary guidelines and shape future nutrition policy and public health strategies," Cawood said.

The study, published in the journal Nutrition Research Reviews, analysed data from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization global online repository. Forty-two technical and scientific documents were included in the analysis.

Source:Ndtv