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What Happened To Our Food?
Humans used to consume as many omega-3 fatty acids as omega-6 fatty acids but now they consume far more omega-6. We ingest
far more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids because we raise cattle on corn instead of grass and raise poultry, pork and even
farmed salmon on corn instead of the feed they are meant for by nature as described by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma
- A History Of Four Meals. The prevalence of vegetable oils in processed foods also upsets the balance. Ratios of 20 or
30 to 1 have been quoted.
Omega-3s And Inflammation
Fatty acids produce hormones called eicosanoids which control other hormones and the immune system and central nervous
system. Eicosanoids made of omega-6 are inflammatory while those made of omega-3 are hardly inflammatory at all.
You can make a huge difference to your health and fitness by shifting your diet to omega-3 fatty acids. They are the
single most important nutrient almost entirely missing from our modern diet and we are suffering from chronic low-grade inflammation
as a result.
Three Types Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat. There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids:
1) EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
2) DHA (docosahexanoic acid)
3) ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)
EPA and DHA deliver the most benefits. ALA is the precursor to EPA and DHA but you cannot assume that it will be converted
to these forms in your body. How much you convert depends on your state of health, but even the healthiest person only converts
a small portion of ALA to EPA and DHA.
EPA and DHA are both found in cold-water fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. Fresh seaweed is the only plant food
that contains much EPA or DHA. ALA is found in flaxseed oil, borage oil and dark green leafy vegetables. If you only take
flaxseed oil, you will get less benefit because it does not contain EPA or DHA. The only way to ensure that you benefit from
DHA and EPA is to take it directly in the form of fish oil.
Miscellaneous Fish Oil Facts
Here are some further points about fish oil:<!--[if !supportLists]-->
* Fish oil must be molecularly distilled otherwise it most likely contains high levels of hazardous contaminants
* Eskimos and Icelanders are known for their lack of heart disease – they get plenty of fish oil!
* Cod liver oil is different from fish oil – it comes from the liver of the fish while fish oil comes from the
body. It contains a lot of vitamin A and should be taken in small quantities, apart from smelling and tasting very strong
* Men need more DHA than women.
Proportions Of EPA To DHA And Why We Care
The Biotest internet site (http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=910074) points out that fatty acid supplements usually
contain a lot more EPA than DHA because fish naturally contain more EPA than DHA. That is fine for women because the biosynthesis
of DHA is much higher in women than it is in men but it is not so good for men.
Men have lower amounts of DHA possibly because estrogen, the 'female' hormone, is associated with an increase in DHA while
testosterone is associated with a decrease. They have lower amounts of DHA despite eating the same amount of fatty acids
as women but they have a higher incidence of heart attack (and presumably, other inflammatory conditions). So it appears
that men need more DHA than women. Several studies have confirmed that belief.
DHA, in addition to having a anti-arrhythmic effect, reduces blood pressure and according to at least one study, even
increases HDL (the good cholesterol) by 29% while EPA reduces it by 6.7%! This is why men might be interested in the Biotest
product Flameout that has a higher proportion of DHA than other fish oil products (I have no
connection with Biotest other than as a very satisfied customer).
Omega-3s And Body Fat
They go on to describe how omega-3s burn body fat in 3 different ways. They:
* Allow the body to burn fat in situations where fat burning is turned off, such as after a high-carb meal or after high-intensity
exercise (where the body preferentially burns glycogen).
* Increase insulin sensitivity. If your body is sensitive to insulin, less insulin is produced after a meal, which means
less fat is stored. Similarly, if the body is sensitive to insulin, and the hormone is properly managed, more stored fat is
released and incinerated each day.
* Increase the heat of your cellular "furnaces", which are otherwise known as the mitochondria and the peroxisomes.
Omega-3s make these organelles burn more and more energy so you become more efficient at burning fat.
There is also evidence that omega-3s might increase the amount of leptin produced by the body (high leptin means decreased
hunger and an increased metabolic rate).
Fish Oil Products - Let The Buyer Beware
Not all fish oils are created equal. There are radically different amounts of DHA and EPA in a serving: in my view, very
few products are strong enough. The table below shows how much quantities of the effective fatty acids vary:
GNC Double Strength Biotest Flameout Dr Sears Iceland Health
DHA (mg per serving) 240 2200 800 200
EPA (mg per serving) 360 880 1600 300
Also consider the cost of the DHA or EPA itself. The Biotest product is the clear winner in this brief survey comparing
the cost of 1000 mgs of DHA between products:
GNC Double Strength Biotest Flameout Dr Sears Iceland Health
Cost Of One Bottle ($) 17.99 26.99 49.95 (3 bottles) 99.90
Nbr Of Servings Per Bottle 90 22 30 30
Mgs DHA Per Serving 240 2200 800 200
Cost 1000 mgs DHA ($) 0.83 0.56 2.08 5.55
Do Not Forget Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
The Biotest product also includes another fatty acid that is a very potent anti-inflammatory all on its own: Conjugated
Linoleic Acid, or CLA. It also reduces inflammation by inhibiting the enzyme COX-2 which means that it acts like the drugs
used to fight arthritis, but without the side effects.
Benefits Of Omega-3s
There is now overwhelming evidence from thousands of clinical studies that Omega-3 fatty acids can improve health and
help prevent disease by lowering triglycerides, improving brain functioning, and helping with diabetes, strokes, depression,
arthritis, allergies, circulation, ADHD, Alzheimer's, skin disorders, gout, and many other problems.
Conclusion
Take a high-quality fish oil and eat unprocessed non-inflammatory foods as much as possible. More details about which
foods are non-inflammatory can be found in Jack Challem's book The Inflammation Syndrome.
These pages are for information only and are not medical advice. They do not purport to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease. Always consult a physician before taking any supplement or undergoing any procedure described here.
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