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Edward N. Siguel, MD, PhD
Brookline, Mass

JAMA. 1996;275(11):836.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

—The study by Dr Siscovick and colleagues¹ shows that increased levels of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are associated with reduced risk of cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, the authors misstate the sources of n-3 PUFAs. Contrary to popular belief, fish is not the primary dietary source of the long-chain n-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C_20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C_22:6n-3). The approximate percentage of total fat as n-3s from samples of common foods (which depend on growing methods, processing, and geographic location) I analyzed are as follows: egg yolk, 1% to 4%; fresh liquid lecithin, 7%; chicken thighs, 3% to 4%; tofu, 7%; soybean oil, 7%; flax oil, 54%; and wheat grass, 53%. Other sources of n-3 include soybeans, flax seeds, canola oil, foods cooked with canola or soybean oil, and green vegetables. Vegetarians and many other people get most of their n-3 PUFAs from . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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