EPA DHA

Omega-3 fatty acids are called essential fatty acids because you need them for your nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as for your brain to function properly. Because your body cannot manufacture them from other nutrient,; you must obtain your omega-3s from your diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids come in three varieties:

ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) is found primarily in dark green leafy vegetables, flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and a variety of vegetable oils. Dark green vegetables, freshly ground flax seeds, and raw walnuts are the richest sources of ALA.

EPA (Eicosopentaenoic Acid) is found primarily in cold water fish like salmon, cod, mackerel and tuna, and in smaller amounts in fresh seaweed. EPA is also found in significantly smaller amounts in organically raised animal products like free range eggs, chickens and grass-fed beef.

DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is found in the same foods as EPA.

EPA and DHA are by far the most researched of the omega-3s. They are both biologically active and provide direct health benefits for the cardiovascular, nervous and cerebral systems. ALA provides health benefits through its conversion to the active forms of omega-3, DHA and EPA.

Your body is able to convert ALA into EPA and DHA. So in theory, if you are in perfect health and eat a diet rich in ALA, your body should be able to produce enough EPA and DHA from ALA to provide numerous health benefits. Is this theory or reality?

When we eat foods or supplements containing DHA and EPA, in effect we are skipping a step. We are allowing other animals (fish, birds, etc) to convert the ALA from their diets into DHA and EPA for our benefit!

Historically, conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA was not an issue. Regardless of where your ancestors lived, sources of all three omega-3s were part of the daily diet so they were able to meet all of their requirements from the food they were already eating. Today that is not the case, as few of us in get enough omega-3s from our diet and we are forced to supplement in the hopes of topping up to a respectable level. Additionally, the number of people following vegetarian, vegan and other special diets is growing exponentially. There are now many more people who rely on ALA as their sole source of omega-3s, in the hope that they can convert enough to get the DHA and EPA they require.

Some people claim that we don't have a problem converting ALA to EPA and DHA, thereby suggesting that it is not essential to eat animal foods to receive an adequate dose of both EPA and DHA. Ultimately, the only way to be certain is to analyze your fatty acid profile with a specialized (expensive) blood test.

However the clinical evidence is conclusive. Even vegans don’t consume enough ALA to convert enough EPA and DHA. Secondly, research shows that our ability to convert ALA to the biologically active forms of omega-3 decline as we age. Thirdly, women are better at converting ALA then men are.

The vast majority of ALA (over 60%) is oxidized. Of the remaining 40%, most ALA is used to create cholesterol and non-essential fatty acids that our bodies use for various reactions and processes. Additionally ALA goes to various organs, including skin, adipose tissue and muscle. Studies have shown that the maximum amount of ALA remaining to be converted is only 3% of the ingested amount. In other words you would need to consume 1000 mg of ALA to have only 30mg available for conversion to DHA & EPA.
Studies show that conversion from ALA to DHA, which is required for healthy brain development and function is highest in preterm infants. This is to be expected as they need it for development of the brain and nervous system. Even they, at best, only convert 12% of the available ALA. Healthy term infants convert 6% and healthy adults 3%.

This is not where the story ends. We also know that women are more efficient at converting ALA to DHA and EPA. This is due to a variety of factors. First, the conversion is far more efficient in the presence of estrogen. The effect is so dramatic that they have found significant differences in the same women at different points in their cycles (corresponding to different levels of estrogen in their systems). Second is the way in which we use our calories. Women tend to use carbohydrates as their primary source of energy, with their bodies preferring to store fatty acids, including omega-3s. Men use whatever is available to them at the time of need, be it carbohydrates or fatty acids, as energy. This leads to men burning some of their ALA as energy before it ever has a chance to be converted to DHA or EPA.

The combination of low conversion potential, declining conversion potential with age and men naturally being hampered by their low estrogen levels and the method by which they burn their calories has lead researchers to conclude that women are poor ALA converters, and men are exceptionally poor converters. This is why researchers and regulatory bodies recommend eating a well balanced diet and ensuring you get enough direct DHA and EPA to meet your needs. As we are unable to get enough directly from our food each day, it is recommended that everyone include a high quality supplement in their diet.

Fiberrific +omega-3 is rich in the biologically active forms of omega-3, DHA & EPA.

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