One major thing I would like to talk about is Omega 3 and help people understand more how and why this nutrient is so vital to our wellbeing. It is an essential fatty acid, (EFA), this along with omega 6 are essential because it’s something our body cannot make on its own and needs to be consumed from the foods we eat.
There is plant based O-3 which is called ALA, (alpha-linolenic acid). Then there’s what’s found in animals and best known coming from fish and fish oil which is, EPA, (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA, (Docosahexaenoic acid) Omega 3.
Now before I get emails and comments about the abbreviations I am using here for Omega 3 and Omega 6, I want to remind those in the know that this information is for the average person not familiar with Greek symbols. (ῳ3 and ῳ6) This is the closest Greek symbol I could find in MS Word for all you technical people out there.
Now when you eat the plant based O-3, the ALA, your body will convert this into the EPA and DHA that is found in the fish oil. These conversions and rates are something of great debate among those in the industry. Current studies published are showing mixed results depending on a lot of different factors. My opinion, which is based on several studies, is that we are all different, however given the right amounts and balancing the O-3 with the other EFA Omega 6, our body will produce what it needs when it comes to metabolizing EPA and DHA O-3. So the ratio of these two EFA’s in our diet is very important. Some studies suggest a 4 to 1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 is the best and I for one say a 1 to 1 ratio or even more omega 3 than omega 6 should be the case.
Here’s why:
Omega 6 makes our blood thick and sticky, omega 3 makes our blood thin and slippery. A higher amount of Omega 6 revs our immune system up on high and keeps it there even when it doesn’t need to be. Omega 3 brings that level down so it can have some rest time and get ready for the next attack. If your immune system is stuck on high all the time it takes you longer to fight off a cold or flu, even stress takes a major toll on our immune system. For those of us who suffer joint pain from arthritis or old injuries, we see the effects the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio has in the form of pain and swollen joints. Our body is designed to send help to those areas that need a little assistance in the form of swelling a little which gives the affected area a little cushioning. The high intake of omega 6 makes our body send way too much help and that helpful cushioning goes overboard and becomes painful, the swelling we see and feel. The 1 to 1 ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 keeps things in balance. Our immune system sends just enough to cushion without overdoing it.
I’ll explain some of my research as to the “whys”: Our immune system is regulated and controlled with the assistance of two dietary fats that are called essential fatty acids or EFA’s we consume, they are the polyunsaturated fats, Omega 3 and Omega 6, (O3 & O6) These two help maintain our immune system however in order to do so the intake of these two EFA’s need to be balanced one to one. The average American diet is 35 to over 50 omega 6 to 1 omega 3. Omega 6 makes our immune system rev-up on high and keeps it there for no reason, it should rev-up when needed and come back to normal when not needed. Omega 3 brings it back down and maintains the body’s ability to regulate our immune system. Omega 6 causes inflammation and Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory. There is an enzyme that these two EFA’s share that breaks them down so they can be metabolized and used in the human body. Since they share this enzyme and the amount of Omega 6 is so high in the diet, it uses all the enzyme and doesn’t leave much left for Omega 3 to be metabolized, this along with the declining amounts of O-3 found in the foods we eat. You know fish oil has EPA & DHA omega 3 in them, just have a look on a jar of fish oil. Evening primrose oil has GLA omega 6 in it and lists the amount on the label, this is the only omega 6 that is an anti-inflammatory. The EPA & DHA in the fish is what our own body metabolizes from the plant source of omega 3 called ALA-omega 3. That enzyme breaks down ALA into EPA, DPA and then the final DHA. That same enzyme breaks down the omega 6 which is LA into AA, DGLA and GLA found in primrose oil. Your fat intake from the foods you eat, even if you eat healthy, is very high in omega 6. Corn oil, canola oil, all nuts and seeds are higher in omega 6 than omega 3. Even the meats we eat have their natural omega 3 leached out because they are fed grains like corn high in omega 6, your grain fed beef. There’s a growing demand for grass fed beef now on the market and this is a healthier choice and has more of the natural omega 3 levels. The high omega 3 in chia seeds helps get that 1 to 1 balance from a source that is a food. Your body uses 100% of the omega 3 in chia because it is a food. Fish oil supplements don’t do the same and you only absorb no more than 20% of what you are taking, same goes for any supplement, your body wants to take the nutrients it needs from food. I’ll give you an example:
If you take a multi-vitamin you notice your urine turns a bright orange or yellow, this is because the body is taking this and saying “What the hell is this”? It takes very little of the nutrient and discards the rest, your change in urine color.
If you take fish oil you are only absorbing 1 to 20% and it is more like 1%. People that say it repeats on them or it’s also called the “fish oil burps”, because they burp up a fishy taste and smell. This is the odour and taste all omega 3 oil gives off when it is rancid, (chia oil, flaxseed oil and fish oil), just because it comes from a fish people think this is normal, however it is NOT! And the ones sold that say “burp-less” or “No fishy aftertaste” are coated so they don’t open until further down the intestinal track.
EPA and DHA Omega 3 in fish oil is VERY sensitive to heat and oxygen and what do we have in our body? Heat and oxygen, so it goes rancid and does little to no good and can make matters worse. Chia seeds are a desert plant used to the heat which makes the omega 3 heat tolerant to 350F/180C and is LOADED in anti-oxidants that help protect the omega 3 even in our body. Eating the seeds in the gel form is the best and in my opinion the only way to do it. This gel makes its way into the intestinal track where our food is broken down and the nutrients absorbed and since it’s stable we take up and use the nutrients in the chia, which by the way is loaded in so many nutrients we need and a lot of those natural nutrients are anti-inflammatory. Another benefit from making the gel before you eat it is that in our body this gel slows down the conversions of carbs into sugars which in turn helps keep our insulin levels stable. More on that another time.
