08 Mar 2008 12:28:38 | Warren Matthews
Over the last year there has been considerable publicity about
the benefits of Omega 3's. Most of which is true and some of
which is not. There is no doubt that Omega 3's can not only help
your heart and joints but it will also help your brain. Most
people are aware of this, but do the benefits of Omega 3's apply
across the board for all types of Omega 3's? There are now many
Companies in the world market today trying to capitalize on the
Omega 3 'boom' with such a wide range of products and so many
claims that it is hard for the consumer to sift out fact from
fiction. The purpose of today's newsletter is to try and
concisely as possible give you the facts about Omega 3. I will
try to explain the most important ones by dealing with each of
them individually. Important Point # 1 Your prime objective for
consuming Omega 3 should be to get DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)
into your body. The scientific evidence supporting the benefits
of DHA is now overwhelming. It is much more important than EPA
(Eicosapentaenoic Acid) which is the major Omega 3 component of
most fish oils.
Important Point # 2
Not all Omega 3's will provide you with DHA and EPA. This is
because these essential fatty acids are not present in a lot of
Omega 3 products. For example, ground flax seed is an excellent
oil for certain uses and contains Omega 3's but does not
actually contain any DHA or EPA at all. Instead it contains
alpha linolenic acid which your body has to convert to DHA and
EPA. In many people, particularly the elderly this conversion
process is very inefficient. To give you an idea, it is
estimated that most adults would have to consume 10 - 40 grams
of flaxseed oil to produce just 0.2 grams of DHA. So, if you
want to get the proven benefits of DHA don't rely on getting
your Omega 3's from vegetable oils such as flaxseed. Note: There
is however now some products being produced from algae which
contain good levels of DHA and do not require the body to
convert the ALA to the DHA. But, they are still not readily
available and they are expensive. Important Point # 3
The best source of DHA is from fish oil. However, there are some
drawbacks with many fish oils: 1. The amount of DHA is low in
most fish oils. A typical level is 12% DHA and 18% EPA. The
popular 'salmon' oils (which are not really salmon) are usually
of the 12/18 type. 2. Many oils on the market today are from
questionable sources and some have high levels of heavy metals
or other contaminants such as PCB's. To ensure that you don't
ingest these contaminants, either use oils which have been
molecularly distilled, or are from impeccable sources with a
reliable certificate of analysis. This basically rules out any
oil which is processed from fish caught in the Northern
Hemisphere. 3. Most fish oils are of the triglyceride form which
does not easily pass through the cell membranes. (More on this
later) Important Point # 4
Some suppliers of fish oil claim that it does not matter that
the EPA is higher than the DPA because the body will convert
part of the EPA to DPA. This is indeed true but like the
conversion of ALA to DHA the percentage of conversion is very
low. This is due in part to the high consumption of Omega 6 in
the typical Western diet. Enzymes needed for the conversion are
in 'short supply' in the bodies of those people who have a
reasonably high level of Omega 6 intake (via vegetable oils).
This is because the enzymes needed are 'used up' in having to
deal with the processing of Omega 6 oils. As a result, the
conversion in most people is quite negligible which further
supports ingesting the DHA directly. Important Point # 5
As I indicated earlier most fish oils are in the triglyceride
forms. A triglyceride consists of 3 fatty acids attached to a
glycerol backbone. It does not pass easily through the cell
membrane as it is changed. It also requires two enzyme steps to
'release' its fatty acids.
Sometimes because of the structure of the triglycerides the
fatty acids are not released but rather stay attached to the
glycerol backbone. In contrast, if the oil is esterified during
the concentration and purification processes the resulting
substance can easily enter the body's cell membranes. The
esterified molecule has no charge and only requires one enterase
enzyme to release the fatty acid. (DHA). This enables the body
to use it as an immediate energy source, or store it for later
use. In Summary:
To receive the many benefits of DHA you have to consider
ensuring that you do as follows: 1. Find a source of fish oil
that is high in DHA or alternatively be prepared to take much
higher doses of conventional fish oil. 2. Ensure that the fish
oil you use is molecularly distilled. 3. Try to find the oil in
the Ester form for better bio-availability. In conclusion, try
to find a quality fish oil supplement that meets these three
criteria and your benefits will far outweigh the cost.
About Author :
Warren Matthews is the Chairman of Xtend Life Natural Products,
the manufacturer of a pure molecularly distilled fish oil ester
with NO CONTAMINANTS and with exceptionally high levels of DHA! 
