Research & Statistics
Natural Living
38.2 million American adults (about 19 percent) use non-vitamin, non-mineral natural products; primarily botanical supplements. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are one of the largest growing groups of dietary supplements consumed.
A recent analysis examining fish consumption and coronary heart disease combined data from 13 of the larger studies (~220,000 people) and indicated that fish consumption decreased coronary heart disease as well as sudden cardiac deaths. (He et al., Circulation 109:2705
Research & Statistics
Recent reports indicate that the incidence of specific diseases characterized by inflammation is increasing. This is pronounced in countries with "western diets". Similarly, dietary supplement use is also increasing, often faster than scientific evidence identifies the mechanisms by which such supplements may or may not work. The potential link between these trends suggests that people are aware of these changes, but that much remains to be learned about which dietary supplements are beneficial and how they should be used. The data below are a snapshot of some of the recent trends.
Inflammation Epidemic
More than one in three US Citizens will suffer from an inflammatory disease.
Asthma: more than 20 million Americans have asthma today, twice as many as in 1980. American Lung Association. Epidemiology & statistics Unit, Research and Program Services. Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality May 2005, reviewed at http://www.aaaai.org
Allergies: More than 50 million - 20% of the US population, suffers from allergies; there has been a 100% increase (doubling) in the prevalence of hay fever in developed countries in each of the last three decades. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). The Allergy Report: Science Based Findings on the Diagnosis & Treatment of Allergic Disorders, 1996-2001, reviewed at http://www.aaaai.org
Diabetes: Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes, causing approximately 200,000 deaths per year in the US. http://www.diabetes.org
Cardiovascular Diseases: Causing over 900,000 deaths in the US in 2003, over 71 million Americans having some form of cardiovascular disease. http://www.americanheart.org
Obesity: Over 64% of American adults are overweight or obese; 16% of children are overweight or obese and twice that many are at risk. (Hu et al., JAMA, 2002, 287:1815-1821.
Shifts in Modern Western Nutrition
Prior to 1800: Prior to 1800, ~ 20% of the western diet was fat and the amounts of omega-6 and omega -3 fatty acids was balanced ~1:1
Since 1800: Total fat in the diet has increased to over 30%, omega-6 fatty acids have increased and omega-3 fatty acids have decreased, driving the ratio to greater than 7:1 in favor of the mostly proinflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (Simopoulos. World Rev Nutri Diet, 2005,95:80-92)
