Q: Im confused by something in the new TV ads for Total cereal, which mention a Daily Value (DV) for omega-3 fatty acids. According to the cereals website, Total Plus Omega-3s cereal contains 160 mg of ALA per serving from ground flax, which is 10% of the Daily Value for ALA. Is there really a DV for omega-3s- and what about the omega-3s found in fish?

Answer : Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of Tufts HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, answers that there is no Daily Value for the omega-3s found in fish (EPA and DHA) at this time, because the data were inadequate to set such a dietary target. The value for ALA, found in flaxseed and other plant sources, is not actually a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), but rather an Adequate Intake (AI)-an amount thought to promote health. For ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), the figure is 1.6 grams per day for men and 1.1 grams for women.

Keep in mind, however, that the body must convert ALA-found in sources such as flaxseed, walnuts, soy foods and green leafy vegetables- into the more complex omega-3s found in fish. The efficiency of this conversion is very low, so the best way to obtain the omega-3s most commonly associated with heart health and other benefits is to eat fish, not cereal.