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THE OMEGA FACTOR: Omega-3s To Win
Post #18 | 7-20-10
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Well the good news about it keeps coming in daily, the marketers are jumping on it through packaging everywhere you look in the grocery aisles, it's a topic of much interest and discussion in nutrition and health circles; we're talking about omega-3s of course. All the hoopla, in case you haven't heard, is all about the wonderful benefits of an omega-3 balanced diet and what it can do for your body, mind, and general well-being. What's important is that it's all backed by a solid and growing body of scientific research, with more evidence coming in fast. If the current standard American diet has recently been insufficient in omega-3s, now it's easier than ever to change that.
Omega 3s of course are the essential body fats you need for maximum health; these are the polyunsaturated fats, the "good" fats. These essential fatty acids are important in many metabolic processes, including energy production. The essential fatty acids are the omega-3 and omega-6 (more on these later) polyunsaturated fatty acids. These desirable fats cannot be made by the human body, so they must be obtained from foods or supplemental sources. These fats are required for normal development of the brain, eyes and nerve tissue in humans.
The omega-3 acronyms: EPA, DHA, and ALA
Not all omega-3s are the same. The three main forms are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). EPA and DHA are considered long-chain forms of omega-3 and are found in fish, fish oil supplements, and algae extract. ALA, the short-chain form, is found in plant sources like walnuts, flax seed, canola and soybean oil, and, to a lesser degree, green leafy vegetables. The body needs to convert the short-chain version to a long-chain version in order to make use of it—but this conversion doesn't happen very rapidly.
Not all omega-3s are the same. The three main forms are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). EPA and DHA are considered long-chain forms of omega-3 and are found in fish, fish oil supplements, and algae extract. ALA, the short-chain form, is found in plant sources like walnuts, flax seed, canola and soybean oil, and, to a lesser degree, green leafy vegetables. The body needs to convert the short-chain version to a long-chain version in order to make use of it—but this conversion doesn't happen very rapidly.
SOURCESWith the animal or plant sources found in nature, fish oil supplements are the third choice for omega 3 in your diet. Fish oil supplements are the important key here for those to busy to eat fish as often as we should, which is all of us really. Here's a quick look at all three sources:
NATURAL SOURCES: ANIMAL
Three of the top omega-3 animal sources are cold-water fish oil, grass-fed red meat and natural eggs. And in this group, fatty fish is hands down the best source of two types of omega-3s—EPA and DHA —that the human body needs.
As for great choices, some common fatty fish are salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, albacore tuna, and sardines. Salmon may just be the best bang for the buck among all these choices. Fresh, frozen, or canned are all OK. Salmon is considered to be healthy due to the fish's high protein, high omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D content. Go for the wild caught salmon over the farmed.
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times (two servings) a week. Each serving is 3.5 ounce cooked, about ¾ cup of flaked fish, or a palm sized portion.
NATURAL SOURCES: PLANTS
As to plant sources of omega-3, they include flaxseed oil, walnuts, tofu, canola and soybean oil, and, to a lesser degree, green leafy vegetables. Flax oil is the richest vegetarian source of omega-3 fats and itis commonly used in salads in place of other salad dressings. But here's the hitch with plant source omega-3; they are different.
While omega 3s found in fish oil are of the EPA and DHA long-chain form variety, plant sources contain only ALA, the short-chain form variety. Great, but so what does this mean you ask? It means that your body has to then convert the ALA to EPA and DHA. The bad news is that it does so at a very inefficient rate (2–15%). This can be difficult for unhealthy or elderly persons. In contrast, omega-3 from fish oil provide DHA and EPA in a natural form that your body can easily assimilate and no conversion is required by the body. It's interesting to note that most of the clinical studies on omega-3 benefits are based on fish oils from consuming fish and fish oil supplements. For example, flaxseed is a source, but the body must convert the flax oil omega-3 into DHA and EPA.
In nature, of the two available, which is better long term? Since research is inconclusive at the moment, it's recommended to take advantage of both until more is known, even though things appear be tilted towards animal sources at this time. The good news is that nowdays it's easier than ever to get your omega 3 intake in balance with not only the natural food choice, but also by using supplements; more commonly with some combination of the two approaches.
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