Understanding Omega 3's
Aloha Friends!
I hope you are enjoying your summer, soaking up some vitamin D rays, and feeling healthy and happy. Thank you for all the great feedback about the bone broth newsletter (although my proof-reading was terrible on that one). We had a lot of interest in the bones and ended up selling out until next week. I am making sure to stock up for next week so everyone can get their 5 pound bone bags ($19.99) and start the delicious healing powers of collagen and cartilage rich broth.
In the mean time we have ground beef on sale this week for $1 off per pound. My inspiration for ground beef this week is creating a rendition from this Cheesy Stuffed Poblano Peppers recipe I found. Great delicious low-carb summer food that would be great paired with a cilantro dressed Mexican cobb salad! I know, I need to get on my recipe creating.
This week I hope you enjoy learning about the importance of animal based omega 3's...
Three Main Omega 3's
Everyone has heard of the health benefits of omega 3's and seen the increasing health claims on labels promoting these essential fatty acids. However, there is one major misunderstanding that stems from our society's tendency to simplify a very complex biological function. Plants are NOT good sources of the most necessary forms of Omega 3 fats. To begin understanding this, there are three main types of Omega 3 fatty acids we get from food:
ALA: this omega 3 is found in plant foods (think flax and walnuts), needed in very small amounts in our body. It can be converted to the more widely used form (EPA/DHA), but to a very small extent and even less so depending on your genes. ALA is not a substitute for EPA & DHA and studies suggest that the conversion rate and bioavailability of ALA converted to EPA/DHA is extremely poor.
EPA & DHA: these omega 3s come from animal sources* (highest amounts in oily fish), and are the most active forms of omega 3s in our bodies. More than 90% of omega 3 fat found in brain tissue is DHA. These omega 3s are linked to a variety of science based health benefits including:
Reduced Inflammation
Improved Cognition and Mood
Reduced Triglycerides and Increased HDL
Cardiovascular Health
Reduce Risk of Diabetes
Protection of Various Organs including Healthy Skin
Lessened Joint Pain
And other potential benefits
Unfortunately the current acceptable marketing technique for Omega 3's rarely differentiates between plant-based and animal based Omega 3's, and even worse, will even claim benefits for Omega 6's (also an essential fatty acid but more on that in a second.) *There is a potential of getting DHA from algae or spirullina but not without concern. Also, I recently read an article on the conventional beef industry' website about how grain-finished beef is better than grass-finished because it has more omega 6 fatty acids (unfortunate disinformation...insert eye rolling emoji here.)
The Balance of Omega 3's & Omega 6's
I find most people keen on this subject nowadays but if you are new to the topic, one of the massive problems of the Standard American Diet (SAD), is that our Omega 3 and Omega 6 balance is way off. Both are necessary for proper body function, but there is a delicate balance we need to maintain.
It is believed that early human's diets had an omega 6 to omega 3 intake ratio of around 1-2:1, said to be the ideal balance needed in the human body. Today, estimates of typical diets in the United States are closer to 15:1, with humans ingesting way too much omega 6 fatty acids. Many professionals believe this could play a role in modern diseases. One of the major contributing factors of this is processed oils and food additives from soy, corn, and canola. On top of that, most of the processing of these plants often damages the omega 6 structure, potentially creating toxic compounds.
DHA/EPA Supplements vs. Food Sources
Deciding to supplement with DHA/EPA sources should be done very carefully. The best way to get the Omega 3 fatty acids you need is by consuming food that are rich in them. It is also important to gently cook these foods as Omega 3 content is reduced by heat. Most supplements go through processes that alter their chemical composition and often use dangerous solvents like hexane to extract and isolate the desired compounds.
Keep in mind that the $30 billion supplement industry is highly unregulated and doesn't always have health as its primary goal. You wouldn't want to unknowingly be doing more harm than good. When fats oxidize they can create rancid, toxic compounds that are destructive to our cells when consumed. Flax oil, for example, should only be consumed when fresh ground and extracted. The highly perishable ALA will begin to oxidize almost immediately. As a side note, our bodies do not absorb whole flax seeds unless they are ground, so adding whole flax seeds to a diet adds no benefit. A nice chunk of wild caught salmon will offer much more health benefits and the most crucial form of omega 3's. Most of our local fish species are also good sources of DHA & EPA and also have high amounts of selenium, an antioxidant that interacts with mercury and prevents certain qualities of it from being absorbed in our bodies.
If you do choose to supplement, spend a good amount of time researching beforehand. I have seen a number of health concerns about using fish oil supplements, including sustainability issues. There are DHA/EPA supplement forms that are healthy and companies that are reliable but they are few and far between.
You can also get Omega 3s from eating land animals that eat primarily grass. Studies have shown that grass-finished beef has twice as much omega 3's as grain-finished beef. This is also very true with our wild pastured Ni'ihau lamb, which is one of the many reason's lamb is dubbed "The Multi-Vitamin Meat." In Hawaii we are so lucky to have fresh grasses year round, which also increase the omega 3 content in animals compared to winter hay feeding (also considered "grass-fed.") Organic meats often do not have this benefit because they are fed organic corn, soy, or grain, that is high in omega 6's.
Conclusion
I hope some of that information was enlightening! As always if you have anything to add or contrast or any questions please email me. Nutrition science is one of the most recent areas of study in science history and as always, can have various interpretations. I do my best to be objective and look at facts as I understand them. I love love love broadening my understanding so please feel free to respond with any concerns or comments.
My basic understanding of nutrition comes from my Nutrition degree and years of personal interest and research. I still feel that I have so much more to understand, which is why I think it is best to look back in time and trust in what humans did for years prior to modern diseases. Eat like your ancestors did!
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See you all this weekend! Aloha,
Jess
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