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| Author | Topic: omega 3 fatty acids |
| monica 09-09-2002 04:52 PM | How do omega 3 supplements compare with the quality of fatty acids from fresh raw salmon? I have heard that they are comparable only if the label says 'molecularly distilled'. And what about flax oil capsuls? (thought it would be convenient for traveling. Oh, one more for you...eggs fortified with omega 3s from chickens who were fed flax. Is it all nonsense/sales pitch?? What about fertile eggs...better? |
| Wai 09-10-2002 11:32 AM | quote:You certainly don't need to supplement if you eat egg yolks and raw fish; this diet abundantly supplies you with omeage 3 fats. quote:If you like them, you can take them instead of other oil, though they are waaaay more expensive. quote:It is not nonsense I think, but you certainly don't need them, though I think that flax seeds are much healthier food for hens than the feeding they normally get. |
| monica 09-13-2002 09:16 AM | Does flax seed oil contain the same quality of omega 3 fatty acids as salmon? If we don't eat salmon very often, would you recommend consuming flax oil on a daily basis? How much omega 3 fat do humans need each day?? |
| Wai 09-13-2002 09:39 AM | quote:It is often said that flax seed oil is high in omega 3 fats, but in the USDA database the contents of the omega 3 fats 20:5 (EPA), 22:5 (DPA) and 22:6 (DHA) are all 0 (zero); only the contents of linolenic acid (also an omega 3 fat; 18:3) are extremely high (53% of total fat). (click on the "report" button; the database does not contain flaxseed oil, but does contain flax seeds) Linolenic acid (LNA) can be converted into EPA, DPA and DHA, but the conversion of LNA in the other omega-3's is limited. EPA, DPA and DHA are particularly present in salmon (and other fish), not in plants. quote: quote:But: quote:What is also very interesting: quote:So, it is certainly not so that "the more the better"; just as with minerals, no more than required are taken up. (except when strongly overdosed!) quote:You can also eat egg yolks regularly... (which is the most nutritional food in the world) Egg yolks contain at least these omega 3 fats: linolenic acid (18:3), 22:5 and 22:6. quote:There are no RDAs regarding omega 3 fats, but it is advised that 1 to 1.5% of your fat intake consists of emoge 3 fats. I would just advice you to eat fresh raw fish or -egg yolks regularly, and fruits that are very high (4 to 28% of total fat) in omega 3 fats, such as: strawberries muskmelon cucumber banana orange mango grapes pear apple tomatoes |
| Taylor 09-13-2002 01:00 PM | Wai, Regarding the study about sunflower seeds enriching the blood; is it okay for us to eat seeds? I talked to one of the manufacturers and they said they are raw nuts and you can choose from mechanically hulled seeds or the ones with the shells. Is it okay to get the hulled ones? |
| Wai 09-14-2002 03:18 PM | quote: quote:If you want to ingest much oleic acid, nuts are more effective. According to some people, you need to consider the ratio of omega 9 and 6 fats relative to omega 3 fats. So, in that theory, you would not be advised to eat sunflower seeds, but flax seed oil and raw fish, and would walnuts be the best nuts. If you would also take in consideration needing ALL different omega 3 fats, instead of just one, only raw fish, and, to a lesser extend, egg yolks would be advised. Omega -9, -6 and -3 fatty acid contents of foods, relative to their total fat contents: (The less fiber, the easier that food can be digested) Sunflower seeds 27% oleic acid, 57% linoleic acid and 0.8% linolenic acid Flaxseed 20% oleic acid, 13% linoleic acid and 53% linolenic acid Sesame seed 39% oleic acid, 37% linoleic acid and 1.3% linolenic acid Brazil nuts 32% oleic acid, 37% linoleic acid and 0.0% linolenic acid Macadamia nut 59% oleic acid, 2% linoleic acid and 0.0% linolenic acid Hazel nut 77% oleic acid, 10% linoleic acid and 0.2% linolenic acid Peanut 46% oleic acid, 29% linoleic acid and 1.1% linolenic acid Walnut 15% oleic acid, 55% linoleic acid and 10.9% linolenic acid Coconut 6% oleic acid, 2% linoleic acid and 0.0% linolenic acid Avocado 68% oleic acid, 13% linoleic acid and 1.0% linolenic acid Olive oil 72% oleic acid, 8% linoleic acid and 0.9% linolenic acid Palm oil 37% oleic acid, 10% linoleic acid and 0.5% linolenic acid Safflower oil 12% oleic acid, 74% linoleic acid and 0.5% linolenic acid Canola oil 56% oleic acid, 20% linoleic acid and 9.3% linolenic acid Salmon 22% oleic acid, 3% linoleic acid, 4.0% linolenic acid, and of the other omega 3s: 5.2% (20:5 n-3 = eicosapentaenoic acid = EPA) 3.2% (22:5 n-3 = docosapentaenoic acid = DPA) 15.8% (22:6 n-3 = docosahexaenoic acid = DHA) Tuna 17% oleic acid, 2% linoleic acid, 1.8% linolenic acid, and of the other omega 3s: 7.0% 1.2% 14.8% Mackerel 13% oleic acid, 1% linoleic acid, 2.1% linolenic acid, and of the other omega 3s: 5.3% 1.1% 9.4% Egg yolk 37% oleic acid, 12% linoleic acid, 0.7% linolenic acid, and of the other omega 3s: ?% 0.2% 0.6% What also should be taken into consideration, is the fiber contents; the less fiber, the easier that food can be digested. Fiber contents: 0.0% egg yolks, fish, oils 6.1% walnuts 6.3% sunflower seed 6.7% Brazil nuts 8.2% hazel nuts 11.2% sesame seed 15.9% Macadamia nuts 15.9% peanuts 38.6% linseed quote:The shell also protects the nuts and seeds against moulds. Moulds can produce toxins such as aflatoxins, that are present in shelled nuts and seeds. So, it is safer to buy nuts in the shell. |
| Wai 09-17-2002 11:39 AM | quote:How do you know? In Souci, S.W. et al, Food composition and Nutrition Tabels, Scientific Publishers Stuttgart, the only omega 3 listed is linolenic acid; 1.1% of total fat. It also says in the USDA database (click on the "report" button), that the amounts of the other omega 3 fats are "0". Sure, when you feed cows flax seeds etc, they will contain more linolenic acid in their fat, but where do they get the other omega 3's from? The human capacity to convert alpha-linolenic acid (ALNA) into the other omega 3 fats (EPA, DPA, DHA), is limited and... quote:and... quote: quote: quote: quote: |
| etwald 09-17-2002 05:02 PM | Hi Wai, It's from Mercola's website: The Health Benefits of Grassfed Animal Products After isolating these fats scientific experiments determined that if the ratio of omega 6 fats to omega 3 fats exceeds 4:1, people have more health problems. This is especially meaningful since grain-fed beef can have ratios that exceed 20:1 whereby grass-fed beef is down around 3:1. Another quote: Omega 3s in beef that feed on grass is 7% of the total fat content, compared to 1% in grain-only fed beef. Ed, The Netherlands |
| Wai 09-19-2002 03:44 AM | quote:Besides the omega 6 and 3 fats, our diet also supplies you with substantial amounts of omega 9 fats. So, if the amounts of omega 3 fats in this diet are substantial, there is no need to worry about the 6 to 3 ratio. Here are the amounts of omega 3 fats in this diet (relative to total fat): 28% salmon 28% strawberries 25% tuna 23% muskmelon 21% cucumber 18% mackerel 14% banana 14% orange 14% mango 13% grapes 12% pear 5% apple 4% tomatoes 3% mandarins 2% egg yolks 1% Olive oil 1% avocado 1% peach 0% figs 0% dates 0% Brazil nuts / Macadamia nuts BTW: How can you isolate the influence of 6 to 3 ratios from other factors, such as trans fats, heterocyclic amines and oxysterols? What studies support Mercola's claim? Did they say anything about the different omega 3s? quote:Is that only linolenic acid, or also other omega 3 fats? |
| engesongwok 05-16-2003 10:25 AM | I usually buy DHA eggs, such as the gold circle eggs. http://www.goldcirclefarms.com/omega-3/dha.html I also find that they seem fresher, have better color, and the yolk size is larger. I hope this means that I am getting a better egg yolk. Any comments about the DHA content of a given egg? |
| Wai 05-16-2003 10:26 AM | he, he, no comment ![[Smile]](../smile.gif) the DHA contents of your eggs dont make any difference it is just an essential fatty acid that is also present in fish (22:6 n-3 = docosahexaenoic acid = DHA) |
| Pete 05-16-2003 10:28 AM | Wai, I'm not sure why you say the DHA is unimportant? DHA is not in plants. I eat Gold Circle farm eggs also because the DHA is high, like in fish. I don't eat fish because of the mercury and the fact that its hard to get unfrozen fish where I live. Gold Cirlce farms high DHA eggs are closer in nutrition to wild eggs (because the wild birds eat more insects). I can't even begin to describe how better tasting and richer they are than ordinary eggs. Everytime I eat a regular egg, I notice how light colored and watered down it tastes compared to the high DHA eggs. SunnyDelight4U |
| engesongwok 05-16-2003 10:29 AM | Wai, Interesting, you usually have comments about everything. I realize that DHA is available in other foods. Cold salt water fish with high oil content is usually a good source. I am not aware of a vegan source. The following claims are made by Gold Circle Farms. "Three to four Gold Circle Farms eggs provide a similar amount of DHA as a three-ounce serving of salmon." "Each egg contains 6 times more vitamin E than regular eggs and 150 mg of DHA-Omega-3 (vs. only 18mg in an ordinary egg)" Thats slightly over 8 times the amount of DHA. This is significant. So, why do you believe that this doesn't make a difference? There are other brands which produce a high DHA eggs, using flax in the feed. This has been shown to produce a higher quality egg, and healthier hens. http://www.poultryindustrycouncil.ca/Factsheets/Factsheets/fact126.htm And, I would say that healthier hens produce a healthier egg. |
| Wai 05-16-2003 10:31 AM | quote:i didnt say that i said that it doesnt matter whether the eggs contain more or less DHA with this diet you will have enough of it available anyway especially in women, the body can also convert linolenic acid in DHA (linolenic acid is abundantly present in this diet) quote:hatchery salmon is safe regarding mercury quote:i agree! quote:because more is not always better in fact, consuming only minimally required amounts ensures that it is enough, and that it wount imbalance the metabolism of other nutrients (too much any nutrient does so) i understand that it is so easy to fall in the trap of thinking "more of a healthy nutrient is better", but all healthy nutrients do harm when ingested in excess if your body is in balance, there is no such thing as a [i]better[/b] balance; by adding more to whatever side of the scale, you will bring it out of balance again... quote:flax doesnt contain DHA, only linolenic acid, which is obviously sufficiently converted into DHA... what makes them healthier, may not necessarily be the DHA... (maybe the linolenic acid, for example) |
| engesongwok 05-27-2003 01:53 PM | Ok, good. I was just under the impression that DHA was a nutrient in short supply in 'western diets'. Their marketing pitch is that they are returning the nutrition that was lost... I imagine that the 'more is better' thought is probably not right. Balance is good. I think that when you eat natural foods, chances are that the organism will do a lot of balancing for you. I noticed that these DHA eggs are also higher in vitamin e, b-12...I can only speculate about other nutritional factors. I know that toxicity can occur in natural foods,(such as selenium in vegetables, and Vitamin A and D in polar bear liver) but I think its more likely when nutrients are taken in a pill. Do you think that high DHA eggs have toxic levels? I suppose its difficult to say... . |
| Wai 05-29-2003 02:47 PM | quote:toxicity may not be the issue here i do know that the conversion into DHA and DPA limit eachother, which may be due to a shared negative feedback system (or not), and in that case higher level of one limits the availability of the other but this is speculation in general, i simply think it is unwise to try to establish elevated levels of whatever nutrient |
| Pete 05-30-2003 04:26 PM | The DHA in goldcircle farms eggs is not elevated and will not cause an imbalance.The DHA and omega 3 content of regular factory farmed eggs is unaturally low because of the food they are fed and the fact that they don't eat a lot of insects. High DHA eggs contain similar amounts of DHA as fish.They are closer in nutritional balance to a wild egg. Pete |
| RRM 05-31-2003 01:58 PM | You are right, they forgot to check the actual contents; the DHA level of "high DHA eggs" is indeed lower than that in salmon, for example. (one can find the levels of omega 3s in foods here) Only if the level of DHA was actually elevated too much, it could possibly imbalance your omega 3 fats balance. RRM |