Photo courtesy of Dakota Flax
Flax is commonly touted as a good way for everyone to get their omega-3 fatty acids. Add some to your cereal. Grind it on your toast. Add the oil to your salad dressing. Bad news for vegetarians today: I'm dispelling the rumor that flax is a good way to get your omega-3s.
Here is the simple reason that adding flax seeds or oil doesn't work the way you'd like it to: flax contributes an omega-3 known as Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The problem with ALA is that it's a short-chain fatty acid, only 18 carbons long, while the body needs the long-chain fatty acids known as Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Just remember the acronyms, there's no reason to memorize those names. So the body converts the short-chain ALA to the long-chain EPA and DHA. Unfortunately, this process is very inefficient, on the order of 5-10%. Ironically, the higher your intake of saturated fat, the more efficient this process is. But most people that are taking flax are very health-conscious and avoid saturated fat like the plague (that is a gross generalization, no source for that).
Here's a bit of technical jargon. Warning: more information than you really wanted ahead! Skip the next two paragraphs if you don't care. When you take in ALA, the body has to convert it to EPA and DHA through several rounds of desaturating and elongating. Here is
a basic flowchart of the actions of the desaturation and elongation steps. You can see in the upper-left corner, you have ALA, which is acted upon by delta-6 desaturase to form Stearidonic acid, another 18-carbon omega-3. This fatty acid is elongated by the insertion of an ethyl group to form Eicosatetraenoic acid, 20-carbons long; we're getting closer. A little action from delta-5 desaturase gives us EPA, but we're still 2 carbons short for DHA. Once again, we have to elongate to get Docosapentaenoic acid and then let delta-4 desaturase convert it to DHA.
It all sounds so simple, but that doesn't take into account things that can inhibit that action of the desaturases. For instance, alcohol, diabetes, sugar, and aging all inhibit delta-6 desaturase, meaning that each of those items reduce the efficiency of the first step of converting ALA to EPA. Delta-5 desaturase is inhibited by EPA, meaning that the body works to slow down EPA production when EPA is high. High levels of omega-6 in the diet can also affect the conversions. There are likely other elements of lifestyle that inhibit the action of these desaturases.
Technically, flax is a good source of omega-3; it's just the wrong form of it. So from a purely logical standpoint, it makes sense to focus on getting the EPA and DHA that the body uses directly rather than taking a precursor and hoping for the best. And the best sources of EPA and DHA are animal products, specifically fish and grass-fed meats. The best sources are (in order) cold water fish, grass-fed meat, and eggs (properly raised eggs!). However, I find that to get a nice high intake of omega-3, supplementation is required, specifically supplementation with cod liver oil and fish oil. I use Carlson's Very Finest lemon flavored oil and take a tbsp of both cod liver and fish oils per day for a total of 3g of DHA and 3.5g of EPA, give or take. The cod liver oil also contributes 2100-3600 IU of naturally-occurring vitamin A and 1200 IU of vitamin D.
But here's another kicker. One of the big benefits of omega-3s is their anti-inflammatory properties. Since we want to keep inflammation low, it makes sense to first avoid foods, activities, and lifestyle factors that cause inflammation and then to supplement our body to help it fight off the remaining inflammation. There appears to be conflicting information on whether supplementing with flax oil increases the amount of inflammation. Some studies say it increases inflammation, some say it does nothing, others say it decreases inflammation.
If you really need justification for increasing your omega-3 intake, omega-3s have been shown to reduce the risk of
stroke and
cardiovascular disease, help with
depression, possibly stave off
Alzheimer's, and keep
Type I Diabetes at bay. The list goes on and on; search
PubMed for "fish oil" and any disease/condition you want to learn about. I bet you'll find some way that omega-3s help. Fatty acid deficiencies are associated with declines in cognitive function (see Alzheimer's above), increases in ADD, dry skin, allergies, fatigue, and decreased immunity.
Most important though is the omega-6/omega-3 ratio. The typical American's ratio is around 20:1, but it should be more in the range of 2:1 to 1:1. So along with increasing the amount of omega-3 you take in, you need to reduce the amount of omega-6 that you take in. Major sources of omega-6 are the very foods that we've been told to eat lots of: vegetable oils and grains. A high omega-6 intake actually inhibits the body's ability to use omega-3s because they occupy several of the same pathways. Omega-6s are pro-inflammatory, while omega-3s are anti-inflammatory; optimally, they should balance. And finally, omega-6s
promote tumor growth (like of the
prostate), along with inflammatory and auto-immune disorders, all of which have taken off in the last half of the century.
I'm going to say the opposite: avoid vegetable oils and grains. They are unnatural substances that have no place in a healthful hunter-gatherer diet. If you're eating a proper diet of meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, fruits, and tubers, you're probably doing just fine. A little grain won't hurt you, but a lot of grain will. And vegetable oils are quite likely rancid by the time you use them since polyunsaturated fats are so unstable, so ditch the corn and peanut oil and stick to olive, coconut, palm, and grass-fed animal fats.
It's your call: flax seeds with a nice dose of hope or meat and seafood?
References:
ALAEPADHAOmega ConversionFatty Acid Deficiencies and ADD
Photo courtesy of Dakota Flax
Flax is commonly touted as a good way for everyone to get their omega-3 fatty acids. Add some to your cereal. Grind it on your toast. Add the oil to your salad dressing. Bad news for vegetarians today: I'm dispelling the rumor that flax is a good way to get your omega-3s.
Here is the simple reason that adding flax seeds or oil doesn't work the way you'd like it to: flax contributes an omega-3 known as Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The problem with ALA is that it's a short-chain fatty acid, only 18 carbons long, while the body needs the long-chain fatty acids known as Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Just remember the acronyms, there's no reason to memorize those names. So the body converts the short-chain ALA to the long-chain EPA and DHA. Unfortunately, this process is very inefficient, on the order of 5-10%. Ironically, the higher your intake of saturated fat, the more efficient this process is. But most people that are taking flax are very health-conscious and avoid saturated fat like the plague (that is a gross generalization, no source for that).
Here's a bit of technical jargon. Warning: more information than you really wanted ahead! Skip the next two paragraphs if you don't care. When you take in ALA, the body has to convert it to EPA and DHA through several rounds of desaturating and elongating. Here is a basic flowchart of the actions of the desaturation and elongation steps. You can see in the upper-left corner, you have ALA, which is acted upon by delta-6 desaturase to form Stearidonic acid, another 18-carbon omega-3. This fatty acid is elongated by the insertion of an ethyl group to form Eicosatetraenoic acid, 20-carbons long; we're getting closer. A little action from delta-5 desaturase gives us EPA, but we're still 2 carbons short for DHA. Once again, we have to elongate to get Docosapentaenoic acid and then let delta-4 desaturase convert it to DHA.
It all sounds so simple, but that doesn't take into account things that can inhibit that action of the desaturases. For instance, alcohol, diabetes, sugar, and aging all inhibit delta-6 desaturase, meaning that each of those items reduce the efficiency of the first step of converting ALA to EPA. Delta-5 desaturase is inhibited by EPA, meaning that the body works to slow down EPA production when EPA is high. High levels of omega-6 in the diet can also affect the conversions. There are likely other elements of lifestyle that inhibit the action of these desaturases.
Technically, flax is a good source of omega-3; it's just the wrong form of it. So from a purely logical standpoint, it makes sense to focus on getting the EPA and DHA that the body uses directly rather than taking a precursor and hoping for the best. And the best sources of EPA and DHA are animal products, specifically fish and grass-fed meats. The best sources are (in order) cold water fish, grass-fed meat, and eggs (properly raised eggs!). However, I find that to get a nice high intake of omega-3, supplementation is required, specifically supplementation with cod liver oil and fish oil. I use Carlson's Very Finest lemon flavored oil and take a tbsp of both cod liver and fish oils per day for a total of 3g of DHA and 3.5g of EPA, give or take. The cod liver oil also contributes 2100-3600 IU of naturally-occurring vitamin A and 1200 IU of vitamin D.
But here's another kicker. One of the big benefits of omega-3s is their anti-inflammatory properties. Since we want to keep inflammation low, it makes sense to first avoid foods, activities, and lifestyle factors that cause inflammation and then to supplement our body to help it fight off the remaining inflammation. There appears to be conflicting information on whether supplementing with flax oil increases the amount of inflammation. Some studies say it increases inflammation, some say it does nothing, others say it decreases inflammation.
If you really need justification for increasing your omega-3 intake, omega-3s have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, help with depression, possibly stave off Alzheimer's, and keep Type I Diabetes at bay. The list goes on and on; search PubMed for "fish oil" and any disease/condition you want to learn about. I bet you'll find some way that omega-3s help. Fatty acid deficiencies are associated with declines in cognitive function (see Alzheimer's above), increases in ADD, dry skin, allergies, fatigue, and decreased immunity.
Most important though is the omega-6/omega-3 ratio. The typical American's ratio is around 20:1, but it should be more in the range of 2:1 to 1:1. So along with increasing the amount of omega-3 you take in, you need to reduce the amount of omega-6 that you take in. Major sources of omega-6 are the very foods that we've been told to eat lots of: vegetable oils and grains. A high omega-6 intake actually inhibits the body's ability to use omega-3s because they occupy several of the same pathways. Omega-6s are pro-inflammatory, while omega-3s are anti-inflammatory; optimally, they should balance. And finally, omega-6s promote tumor growth (like of the prostate), along with inflammatory and auto-immune disorders, all of which have taken off in the last half of the century.
I'm going to say the opposite: avoid vegetable oils and grains. They are unnatural substances that have no place in a healthful hunter-gatherer diet. If you're eating a proper diet of meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, fruits, and tubers, you're probably doing just fine. A little grain won't hurt you, but a lot of grain will. And vegetable oils are quite likely rancid by the time you use them since polyunsaturated fats are so unstable, so ditch the corn and peanut oil and stick to olive, coconut, palm, and grass-fed animal fats.
It's your call: flax seeds with a nice dose of hope or meat and seafood?
References:
ALA
EPA
DHA
Omega Conversion
Fatty Acid Deficiencies and ADD