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Omega 3-6-9
- Thread starter Classius
- Start date
kinda long but some good info
- ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: Omega-3 & Omega-6
Essential fatty acids are crucial to many functions in the body. Compounds called eicosanoids (including prostaglandins and thromboxanes) are synthesized from essential fatty acids and control such things as blood pressure, blood clotting, nerve impulses, insulin sensitivity, hormones and other functions. Like all fats, EFAs exert some of their effects through their incorporation into cell membranes.
Essential fatty acids are similar to essential amino acids (protein) in that they must included in the diet because the body can not make them on their own. Unfortunately, EFAs are more difficult to consume in sufficient amounts when following a regular North American diet. Many EFA sources are destroyed by food processing, with the worst-case scenario being the hydrogenation of EFA sources (such as hydrogenated vegetable oils).
EFA dietary requirement may even increase with unhealthy practices such as high saturated fat intake, high trans-fatty acid intake, high sugar intake, alcohol consumption, smoking, or exposure to environmental toxins. Deficiencies of essential fatty acids have been linked to a wide range of unhealthy states. Again, because EFAs are important for cell membranes, this may explain why an EFA deficiency can have such a broad impact on health. Problems that have been associated with EFA deficiency include:
Cardiovascular disease - Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Cardiovascular disease - High LDL (bad) cholesterol
Insulin resistance (leading to type II diabetes)
Hair & skin health
General weakness
Memory loss & dementia
Joint inflammation
OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS
The most important Omega-6 fatty acid is linoleic acid. North Americans get plenty of Omega-6 fatty acids in their diet because vegetable oils are so prominent in North American cooking. Linoleic acid serves as the substrate for the production of other Omega-6 fatty acids, such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid (AA).
GLA is the desired Omega-6 fatty acid because it has may enhance the action of the Omega-3 fatty acids. Direct sources of GLA are Borage Oil (23% of the fat in borage oil is GLA) and Evening Primrose Oil (9% GLA). In contrast, and in confusion, experts suggest that arachidonic acid is not something you want a lot of in your diet because it may promote inflammation.
Thus, for general health reasons, it is likely unnecessary to supplement directly with Omega-6 fatty acids, provided you are supplementing with flaxseed oil (which contains Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids). As mentioned earlier, the North American diet provides plenty of Omega-6 containing oils. Unfortunately, many store-bought oils are partially hydrogenated, thus counteracting their benefits. Do your best to eliminate all sources of hydrogenated fats!
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Omega-3 fatty acids are sometimes referred to as "ultra-polyunsaturated" fatty acids because they contain the fewest hydrogen atoms and most double bonds (three) in their structure. Their structure may contribute to their positive health benefits when incorporated into cell membranes. Research has shown that supplementing the diet with omega-3 PUFA increased insulin sensitivity and this may have been due to positive changes in the cell membrane (Storlien et al., 1987).
The interest in fatty acid research stemmed from the good health of Eskimos, whose high-fat diet is about 2.5's higher in Omega-3s than Omega-6s. Research has shown that as little as 4 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids per day can decrease blood triglycerides and cholesterol (Nilsen et al, 2001). Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory and help support the immune system. There are three Omega-3 fatty acids with the most notable being alpha-linolenic acid (commonly referred to as linolenic acid). EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are the remaining two Omega-3s, and can be made indirectly from linolenic acid and obtained directly from fish oil.
Many studies suggest that Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Omega-3s may also boost levels of HDL (good) cholesterol (Nilsen et al., 2001), reduce blood pressure, and inhibit formation of blood clots. Unfortunately, the recent study by Nilsen et al. (2001) failed to show a decrease in cardiac events in cardiac patients after supplementation of 4g of Omega-3s for over a year. It is important to realize that Omega-3 supplementation does not result in overnight benefits, but rather benefits that accrue over the long-term. This study may have required even more time for the improvements in cholesterol to be reflected in improvements in cardiac health. In addition, the simple addition of Omega-3s will not excuse all other habits of bad health!
Cold water fish (salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, albacore tuna, and trout are some of the main ones) and plants (flax and hemp) are the best sources of Omega-3s. Experts believe the accumulation of Omega-3 fatty acids has been some sort of evolutionary adaptation by cold-climate plants and fish. It is recommended that you stick to non-hydrogenated "cold" oils and don't let food processing (i.e. hydrogenation of good oils) incapacitate your efforts to include healthy fats in your diet.
Udo Erasmus, a worldwide expert on fats and the author of "Fats that heal, fats that kill" has stated, "Essential fatty acids speed learning and can increase IQ by 6-9 points." A bold statement indeed! While there may not be published studies to back that up, there is no denying the power of Omega-3s. Flax and fish oils are the best sources of Omega-3s, but even these fatty acids are still very different from one another. It is generally considered that flax is the best overall source for Omega-3 fatty acids.
Nilsen, D., Effects of a high-dose concentrate of n-3 fatty acids or corn oil introduced early after an acute myocardial infarction on serum triacylglycerol and HDL cholesterol. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 74: 50-56, 2001.
Storlien, L., et al. Fish oil prevents insulin resistance induced by high-fat feeding in rats. Science. 237: 885-888, 1987.
- ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: Omega-3 & Omega-6
Essential fatty acids are crucial to many functions in the body. Compounds called eicosanoids (including prostaglandins and thromboxanes) are synthesized from essential fatty acids and control such things as blood pressure, blood clotting, nerve impulses, insulin sensitivity, hormones and other functions. Like all fats, EFAs exert some of their effects through their incorporation into cell membranes.
Essential fatty acids are similar to essential amino acids (protein) in that they must included in the diet because the body can not make them on their own. Unfortunately, EFAs are more difficult to consume in sufficient amounts when following a regular North American diet. Many EFA sources are destroyed by food processing, with the worst-case scenario being the hydrogenation of EFA sources (such as hydrogenated vegetable oils).
EFA dietary requirement may even increase with unhealthy practices such as high saturated fat intake, high trans-fatty acid intake, high sugar intake, alcohol consumption, smoking, or exposure to environmental toxins. Deficiencies of essential fatty acids have been linked to a wide range of unhealthy states. Again, because EFAs are important for cell membranes, this may explain why an EFA deficiency can have such a broad impact on health. Problems that have been associated with EFA deficiency include:
Cardiovascular disease - Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Cardiovascular disease - High LDL (bad) cholesterol
Insulin resistance (leading to type II diabetes)
Hair & skin health
General weakness
Memory loss & dementia
Joint inflammation
OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS
The most important Omega-6 fatty acid is linoleic acid. North Americans get plenty of Omega-6 fatty acids in their diet because vegetable oils are so prominent in North American cooking. Linoleic acid serves as the substrate for the production of other Omega-6 fatty acids, such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid (AA).
GLA is the desired Omega-6 fatty acid because it has may enhance the action of the Omega-3 fatty acids. Direct sources of GLA are Borage Oil (23% of the fat in borage oil is GLA) and Evening Primrose Oil (9% GLA). In contrast, and in confusion, experts suggest that arachidonic acid is not something you want a lot of in your diet because it may promote inflammation.
Thus, for general health reasons, it is likely unnecessary to supplement directly with Omega-6 fatty acids, provided you are supplementing with flaxseed oil (which contains Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids). As mentioned earlier, the North American diet provides plenty of Omega-6 containing oils. Unfortunately, many store-bought oils are partially hydrogenated, thus counteracting their benefits. Do your best to eliminate all sources of hydrogenated fats!
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Omega-3 fatty acids are sometimes referred to as "ultra-polyunsaturated" fatty acids because they contain the fewest hydrogen atoms and most double bonds (three) in their structure. Their structure may contribute to their positive health benefits when incorporated into cell membranes. Research has shown that supplementing the diet with omega-3 PUFA increased insulin sensitivity and this may have been due to positive changes in the cell membrane (Storlien et al., 1987).
The interest in fatty acid research stemmed from the good health of Eskimos, whose high-fat diet is about 2.5's higher in Omega-3s than Omega-6s. Research has shown that as little as 4 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids per day can decrease blood triglycerides and cholesterol (Nilsen et al, 2001). Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory and help support the immune system. There are three Omega-3 fatty acids with the most notable being alpha-linolenic acid (commonly referred to as linolenic acid). EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are the remaining two Omega-3s, and can be made indirectly from linolenic acid and obtained directly from fish oil.
Many studies suggest that Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Omega-3s may also boost levels of HDL (good) cholesterol (Nilsen et al., 2001), reduce blood pressure, and inhibit formation of blood clots. Unfortunately, the recent study by Nilsen et al. (2001) failed to show a decrease in cardiac events in cardiac patients after supplementation of 4g of Omega-3s for over a year. It is important to realize that Omega-3 supplementation does not result in overnight benefits, but rather benefits that accrue over the long-term. This study may have required even more time for the improvements in cholesterol to be reflected in improvements in cardiac health. In addition, the simple addition of Omega-3s will not excuse all other habits of bad health!
Cold water fish (salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, albacore tuna, and trout are some of the main ones) and plants (flax and hemp) are the best sources of Omega-3s. Experts believe the accumulation of Omega-3 fatty acids has been some sort of evolutionary adaptation by cold-climate plants and fish. It is recommended that you stick to non-hydrogenated "cold" oils and don't let food processing (i.e. hydrogenation of good oils) incapacitate your efforts to include healthy fats in your diet.
Udo Erasmus, a worldwide expert on fats and the author of "Fats that heal, fats that kill" has stated, "Essential fatty acids speed learning and can increase IQ by 6-9 points." A bold statement indeed! While there may not be published studies to back that up, there is no denying the power of Omega-3s. Flax and fish oils are the best sources of Omega-3s, but even these fatty acids are still very different from one another. It is generally considered that flax is the best overall source for Omega-3 fatty acids.
Nilsen, D., Effects of a high-dose concentrate of n-3 fatty acids or corn oil introduced early after an acute myocardial infarction on serum triacylglycerol and HDL cholesterol. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 74: 50-56, 2001.
Storlien, L., et al. Fish oil prevents insulin resistance induced by high-fat feeding in rats. Science. 237: 885-888, 1987.