Food group sources and intake of long-chain fatty acids in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort (810.30)

Long   chain   fatty   acids  have unique and varying effects on  health . Identifying common dietary  sources  of  fatty   acids  can help in developing individual and public  health  recommendations regarding  intake . The purpose of this descriptive study is to identify the  food   group   sources  of  long - chain   fatty   acids  in the  Adventist   Health   Study - 2   cohort . This  cohort  has approximately 96,000 participants (65% female; 26% Black; mean age 58.2 years) from the U.S. and Canada. A quantitative 204  food -item  food  frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to measure  food   intake . The FFQ was used to estimate  fatty  acid  intake , identify 14 major and 51 minor  food  groups, and define dietary patterns (vegan (7.6%), vegetarian (28.9%), semi-vegetarian (5.5%), pesco-vegetarian (9.8%), and non-vegetarians (48.2%)). Preliminary results show mean dietary  intake  (per 2000 kcal) of 72.1 g total fat, 17.7 g linoleic acid, 0.02 g arachidonic acid, 1.85 g α-linolenic acid (ALA), 16 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 39 mg docosahexaenoic acid. Estimated ALA (0.8% kcal) and linolenic acid (8% kcal)  intake  meets the dietary reference  intake  of 0.6-1.2 and 5-10% kcals, respectively. Average dietary EPA+DHA  intake  in this  cohort  is less than the American Heart Association recommendation of 0.5-1 g for prevention of heart disease. Further analyses will determine  food   sources  of these  fatty   acids  within each dietary pattern.