Omega-3 Science

General Omega-3 Science

Omega-3 PUFAs

Research shows that dietary supplementation of long chain Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can provide health benefits to every cell in the body and more specific benefits to those of the brain, eyes, nervous system and heart.

There are three significant long-chain Omega-3 PUFAs:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3)
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3)
Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5 n-3)

At birth, the human body has a limited supply of long-chain Omega-3 PUFAs from the mother. Long-chain Omega-3s deplete steadily and cannot be naturally reproduced. Therefore, the human body must obtain LC Omega-3 PUFAs from diet or dietary supplementation.

Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Agricultural

Some sources of Omega-3 PUFAs include flax and flaxseed, cooking oils and nuts (usually walnuts and / or Brazil nuts). The problems with these agricultural sources are numerous.

Firstly, agricultural sources of Omega-3 PUFAs contain primarily high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 n-3) which is known as a short chain Omega-3. Short chain ALA must be converted into long-chain EPA and DHA in order to yield intended health benefits (DPA is not present in agricultural sources of Omega-3 PUFAs). Bodily conversion is slow and results in lowered levels of EPA and DHA (Simopoulos, A.P., 1999).

Another problem associated with agricultural sources of Omega-3 PUFAs is high levels of an Omega-6 PUFAs that is abundant in agricultural sources. Although linoleic acid is known as an essential fatty acid, Omega-6 PUFAs are already present in dramatically high levels in humans eating the western diet. Many agricultural foods consumed on a daily basis (including almost every type of cooking oil) contain this Omega-6 PUFA. Why is this excess of Omega-6 problematic? - Dietary Balance!

The dietary intake balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 PUFAs should ideally be a ratio of 1:1. Through bodily balance, the body can help and heal itself. However, modern western diets are often higher in Omega-6. It has been argued that the balance is anywhere between 20-30:1 in favour of Omega-6 (Simopoulos, A.P., 1999). Many health experts feel that excessive intake of Omega-6 can lead to persistent inflammation (Okuyama, H., 2000). Inflammation can often lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD) - the number one cause of death in Canada.

Research also shows that increasing specifically the amount of EPA, "can inhibit the metastatic process by blocking the production of PGE2 and therefore reducing the risk of aggressive disease." (Brown, M.D., et al., 2006). By including DHA and DPA, the benefits can be even more pronounced.

Marine

The best source of long-chain Omega-3 PUFAs is marine sources. Fish and seal provide the three significant long-chain Omega-3 PUFAs EPA, DHA and DPA in a readily available manner in the body requiring no conversion.

EPA and DHA levels are usually higher in fish while DPA levels are always higher in seal. (Olaussen, K. et al., 2001).

Learn more about the many differences between fish and seal oil

OmegaVite offers two marine sources of Omega-3 PUFAs - fish and seal in easy to swallow soft gel capsule and liquid form: BALANCE, PLUS and SOURCE