We are now including Omega-3 in our products as research has confirmed the health benefits. The benefits of Omega-3 were not known until the 80's. Today we're smarter. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for eye and brain development in children. They are a deterrent for cardiovascular heart disease. Initial research also shows that they are beneficial to adults with many other diseases such as depression, Alzheimer’s, psoriasis, cystic fibrosis, stroke, muscular dystrophy, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
A new study was just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association about its anti-aging benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids slow the aging process by slowing the rate that telomeres shorten. You are probably wondering as I did what are telomeres? Here is the link to find out.
But many questions remain.
How much Omega-3 do we need?
Can we get enough from a well balanced diet?
If we need to supplement what is the best way to do so? Fish oil versus flax?
Omega-3 is considered an "essential" fatty acid because it cannot be produced by the body and therefore must be present in the diet. Nutritionally important omega-3 fatty acids include ALA, DHA and EPA. ALA is found in plants and must be converted by the body into DHA. DHA and EPA are made by microalgae that live in seawater. So if you need to supplement your diet you can get supplements made directly from microalgae. These, of course, are vegan.
Good sources of ALA are flax, chia and walnuts. It is also found in other plants, nuts and seeds in smaller amounts. The best source of DHA and EPA is microalgae in seawater.
The reason for the high levels of omega-3 in fish is their consumption of microalgae which then accumulate in their bodies. At the same time fish also consume high levels of mercury and other contaminants which bind to the proteins in their body. Many people get their omega-3 in the form of fish oil but, so far, studies have shown that fish oil has relatively low levels of toxic contaminants. It would seem that the highest level of toxic minerals would be found in the fish themselves.
Now our government tells us that the health benefits of eating fish outweigh the negative effects of a small amount of contaminants in our body. I personally am not sure that I would agree with that. We no not know what the negative effects might be of a build-up of these contaminants over a period of many years. Our oceans become more polluted every year with an increasing amount of toxic compounds.
Over the last 100 years diets have changed considerably, but our genes have not, so far, adapted to our new diets. Perhaps in time they will but, in the meantime, we have seen a rapid expansion of chronic disease. Our intake of sugar, refined and processed foods and dietary fats have increased rapidly and this has affected our intake of omega-3. In a healthy well-balanced diet, the proportion of omega-3 to omega-6 should be a 1:4 ratio which, by the way, is the exact ratio found in walnuts. As a result of our high fat, processed diets this ratio, in some cases, is now 1:20.
Today, one of the best ways to increase your intake of omega-3 is simple; reduce your intake of omega-6. Since both omega-3 and omega-6 compete for the same metabolic enzymes it is necessary to include both in a balanced proportion in the diet. i.e. a ration of 1:1 up to 1:4.
In our products we try to use flax sprouts. Flax contains more nutrients than the extracted fish oil. It is high in protein and soluble fiber as well as many vitamins and minerals. If you use flax seeds they should be ground up before eating in order to release the nutrients. Grind only as much as you are going to use since they turn rancid very quickly. Flax sprouts do not need to be ground up. Both flax and walnuts, as well as chia seeds and other plant based sources of omega-3 contain ALA. Our bodies convert this to EPA and DHA at a ratio of 4% up to 20% maximum. In some people with a poor immune system this conversation rate can be very low and supplementation should be considered.
Canada is the largest producer of flax in the world and their website has a lot of useful information. They recommend 1 Tablespoon of milled flax or flax sprouts per day to meet dietary requirements. Most guidelines are based on an intake of fatty fish. The European Food Safety Authority guidelines for daily intake, which were revised in 2009, recommend 2-3g ALA or 250mg EPA/DHA to support cardiovascular health and neurodevelopment.
The American Heart Association is currently looking at levels of EPA/DHA daily intake closer to 500mg, which using a 10% ratio figure would imply a requirement of 5g ALA. This would amount to 1 Tablespoon of flax oil or 2 Tablespoons of milled flax per day.
It is likely that many on a vegan or vegetarian diet do not have an adequate intake of Omega-3. Adding a spoonful of flax and or chia seeds to cereals and salads as well as eating more walnuts is extremely important. If you are older or have an impaired immune system a microalgae DHA supplement is highly recommended.
