CDC Report Highlights Broad Omega-3 Shortfall in U.S. Diets

With 98% of Americans falling short on EPA and DHA from food alone, Zinzino’s test-based nutrition model offers a measurable way to assess and monitor omega-3 status.

JUPITER, Fla. — A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to a major gap in Americans’ omega-3 status: 98% of the U.S. population is not getting enough EPA and DHA through diet. These essential omega-3 fatty acids support normal heart and brain health, but levels can vary depending on diet, supplementation, lifestyle and biology, making testing a useful tool for understanding individual nutritional status.

The findings, published in the CDC’s Nutrition Report using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), highlight a challenge that Scandinavian life science company Zinzino has built its personalized nutrition approach around: measuring nutritional status instead of relying on assumptions.

Personalized wellness plans have become more common, but measuring whether they are actually working has not. Zinzino says it aims to remove the guesswork from that process through a range of at-home health tests and science-based nutritional supplements.

The company’s product philosophy is built around a test-based nutrition strategy: “Test, Don’t Guess,” delivered through its Balance Concept.

Instead of beginning with an omega-3 supplement and hoping for the best, Zinzino encourages consumers to start with data. Its at-home BalanceTest uses a simple finger-prick blood sample to generate a personalized fatty acid profile shown through six wellness markers, including the Omega-3 Index and the Omega-6:3 Ratio.

The Omega-3 Index offers an objective measure of omega-3 status based on blood levels of EPA and DHA, while the Omega-6:3 Ratio shows the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Together with the test’s other markers, the results give consumers a clearer picture of their fatty acid profile and a baseline they can monitor over time.

“The CDC findings reinforce why understanding your individual nutritional status matters,” said Dag Bergheim Pettersen, CEO of Zinzino. “Most people have no way of knowing if their lifestyle is sustainable, and whether their efforts to live healthier are actually having the desired effect. We believe the answer should be simple: start with a test, track where you stand, trust where you’re going.”

New research from Zinzino’s global fatty acid database further supports the value of its test-based model. In an analysis of more than 762,000 blood samples, researchers found that people who said they had followed Zinzino’s structured Balance Concept for at least 120 days showed higher omega-3 levels and a more balanced omega 6:3 ratio than both non-users and people taking omega-3 supplements on their own. The findings, linked here, add real-world evidence for the value of using measurable data to better understand fatty acid status.

For consumers aiming to increase omega-3 intake based on their results, Zinzino offers BalanceOil+, a proprietary formula that combines EPA and DHA from wild-caught fatty fish with extra virgin olive oil rich in naturally occurring antioxidants. The fish oil is produced in Iceland, Friend of the Sea certified, and sustainably sourced from sardines, mackerel and anchovies. It is refined and third-party tested for freshness, safety and purity.

But the Balance Concept does not stop at testing and supplementation. Tracking results over time is an important part of the process. Zinzino encourages consumers to take another BalanceTest after 120 days so they can compare results and see how their fatty acid profile has changed in response to diet, supplementation and lifestyle.

The process follows three simple steps: test, track and trust.

That before-and-after testing is what sets Zinzino’s approach apart from conventional supplementation, giving consumers measurable data to follow how their fatty acid profile responds to changes in diet, supplementation and lifestyle.

“Two people can follow similar diets or take similar supplements and still have different blood levels of EPA and DHA,” said Colin Robertson, PhD, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and Chief Product Officer at Zinzino. “Objective, accurate testing provides an individual baseline and, when repeated over time, a way to document change. It’s the ultimate lifestyle tracker.”

By combining at-home testing, personal insights and targeted supplementation, Zinzino says it is seeking to set a new standard in personal wellness with a measurable approach that helps consumers make more informed choices about daily health routines.

For more information about Zinzino’s test-based nutrition strategy and the Balance Concept, visit zinzino.com.