Isn’t flaxseed a good source of omega-3?
Why eat omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed?
Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids can cause long term damage to human health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the importance of omega-3 to public health and their importance to coronary health.
Here is a problem:
The omega-3 in American diet has decreased gradually over time with the increased consumption of processed foods. On the other hand dietary levels of Omega-6 fatty acids have increased due to consumption of oils that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. This dietary imbalance of omega fatty acids has created unfavorable ratio of omega 3:omega 6 in our body.
It is not just the amount of omega-3 consumed but the amount of omega-3 in relation to the amount of omega-6 oils consumed that is important to keep the ratio to a favorable level of 1:4 (omega 3:omega 6).
Solution:
Flaxseed provides one of the only non-animal sources of omega-3 that contains significantly more omega-3 than omega-6. About 57% of total oil in flaxseed is in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for human health. To improve omega-3 levels and ratio between omega 3 and Omega 6, it is important to consume foods that contain significantly higher levels of omega-3 than omega-6. There are very few foods that do that – Flaxseed is one of them.
The ALA is converted by the body into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3s that are found in fish oils. The EPA and DHA are also essential omega-3 fatty acids for human health. The conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA is not a very efficient process in body but remember a diet rich in flax seed, will provide all three omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to healthy human health.
Why eat omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed?
Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids can cause long term damage to human health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the importance of omega-3 to public health and their importance to coronary health.
Here is a problem:
The omega-3 in American diet has decreased gradually over time with the increased consumption of processed foods. On the other hand dietary levels of Omega-6 fatty acids have increased due to consumption of oils that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. This dietary imbalance of omega fatty acids has created unfavorable ratio of omega 3:omega 6 in our body.
It is not just the amount of omega-3 consumed but the amount of omega-3 in relation to the amount of omega-6 oils consumed that is important to keep the ratio to a favorable level of 1:4 (omega 3:omega 6).
Solution:
Flaxseed provides one of the only non-animal sources of omega-3 that contains significantly more omega-3 than omega-6. About 57% of total oil in flaxseed is in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for human health. To improve omega-3 levels and ratio between omega 3 and Omega 6, it is important to consume foods that contain significantly higher levels of omega-3 than omega-6. There are very few foods that do that – Flaxseed is one of them.
The ALA is converted by the body into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3s that are found in fish oils. The EPA and DHA are also essential omega-3 fatty acids for human health. The conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA is not a very efficient process in body but remember a diet rich in flax seed, will provide all three omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to healthy human health.
Why eat Omega-3 fatty acids from flax seeds?
Dietary deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids can cause long term damage to human health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the importance of Omega-3 to the public’s health and their importance to coronary health.
Here is a problem:
The Omega-3 in American diet has decreased gradually over time with the increased consumption of processed foods. On the other hand dietary levels of Omega-6 fatty acids have increased due to consumption of oils that are rich in Omega-6 fatty acids. This dietary imbalance of the omega fatty acids has created an unfavorable ratio of Omega 3 to the Omega 6 in our bodies.
It is not just the amount of Omega-3 consumed but the amount of Omega-3 in relation to the amount of Omega-6 oils consumed that is important to keep the ratio to a favorable level of 1:4 (Omega 3 to Omega 6).
Solution:
Flaxseed provides one of the only non-animal sources of Omega-3 that contains significantly more Omega-3 than Omega-6. About 57% of the total oil in flax seeds is in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for human health. To improve Omega-3 levels and ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6, it is important to consume foods that contain significantly higher levels of Omega-3 than Omega-6. There are very few foods that do that – flaxseed is one of them.
The ALA is converted by the body into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Omega-3s like those that are found in fish oils. The EPA and DHA are also essential Omega-3 fatty acids for human health. The conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA is not a very efficient process in body but remember a diet rich in flax seed, will provide all three Omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to healthy human health.
Omega-3 fatty acids fall into two categories: plant-derived (flaxseed oil yielding alpha-linolenic acid or ALA) or marine-derived (fish oil yielding both EPA and DHA). The human body converts ALA with great difficulty into EPA and DHA. The conversion rate is slow and inefficient (between one and five per cent), and can be inhibited by various conditions such as a diet high in linolenic acid (omega-6), trans fatty acids such as fast foods and baked goods, alcohol intake, certain health conditions, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies (B3, B6, C, zinc, magnesium). It is only the omega-3 EPA and DHA that have health benefits. This is not to say flaxseed oil is bad. It is just not a very good compared to fish oil because of the very inefficient ALA to EPA and DHA conversion that takes place. Therefore, you may need to consume considerably more flaxseed oil than fish oil. Fish oil, on the other hand, is a direct source of EPA and DHA and does not have to be converted by the body to provide
