Promising Sources of Plant-Derived Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: A Narrative Review

Gianluca Rizzo (), Luciana Baroni and Mauro Lombardo
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Gianluca Rizzo: Independent Researcher, Via Venezuela 66, 98121 Messina, Italy
Luciana Baroni: Scientific Society for Vegetarian Nutrition, 30171 Venice, Italy
Mauro Lombardo: Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-34

Abstract: (1) Background: Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are known for their ability to protect against numerous metabolic disorders. The consumption of oily fish is the main source of PUFAs in human nutrition and is commonly used for supplement production. However, seafood is an overexploited source that cannot be guaranteed to cover the global demands. Furthermore, it is not consumed by everyone for ecological, economic, ethical, geographical and taste reasons. The growing demand for natural dietary sources of PUFAs suggests that current nutritional sources are insufficient to meet global needs, and less and less will be. Therefore, it is crucial to find sustainable sources that are acceptable to all, meeting the world population’s needs. (2) Scope: This review aims to evaluate the recent evidence about alternative plant sources of essential fatty acids, focusing on long-chain omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs. (3) Method: A structured search was performed on the PubMed search engine to select available human data from interventional studies using omega-3 fatty acids of non-animal origin. (4) Results: Several promising sources have emerged from the literature, such as algae, microorganisms, plants rich in stearidonic acid and GM plants. However, the costs, acceptance and adequate formulation deserve further investigation.

Keywords: fatty acids; omega-3; alpha-linolenic acid; docosahexaenoic acids; eicosapentaenoic acid; stearidonic acid; microalgae; seaweed; fish oils; diet; vegetarian; unsaturated (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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