Supplements - Omega 3

#AgelessTalks #Nutrition #Omega3

Supplements are BIG business! In 2013 the global supplement market value was USD$104 billion with a growth expectation on 6-7% a year (https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/01/27/700276/10117198/en/Global-Nutrition-and-Supplements-Market-History-Industry-Growth-and-Future-Trends-by-PMR.html). With that comes a list of supplements that are not worth the bottle they come in.

I decided it was time to re-evaluate Omega 3 supplement I was taking, and dig a little more into what I should be looking for in a good quality Omega 3 supplement product.

Why Omega 3 is important?

There is a significant amount of research showing Omega 3 benefits:

- stiffness and joint pain - rheumatoid arthritis
http://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/natural/supplements-herbs/guide/fish-oil.php
- positive impact on brain development in kids, and behavioural problems 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150515134827.htm

- ability to protect against Alzheimer and dementia, brain regeneration

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160422091900.htm

- ability to lower elevated triglycerides
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/93/2/243.full

How much Omega 3 should we consume?
While specific quantity of Omega 3 does not matter as much as the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3. The recommended ratio is between 1:4 to 1:2 of Omega 3 to Omega 6. With the daily estimated need for Omega 3 to range between 2000 mg to 4000 mg. While Omega 6 is easy to find, most of us do not consume enough of Omega 3 to keep the ratio in balance. Studies shows (surprise!) that vegans ratio of these two essential fats is even worse than meat eaters. You can read more about vegan diet and Omega 3 here: http://veganhealth.org/articles/omega3

Where to find Omega 3 in food

There are 3 main types of Omega 3:

1) ALA - short chain Omega 3 that exists in plants. The largest concentration is in flax and chia seeds, walnuts, canola oil, soybean oil.

The short chain Omega 3 are not usable by the body and need to be converted to long chain Omega 3. 2 tbsp of whole flax contain 2300 mg of ALA (http://www.ameriflax.com/default.cfm?page=consumersfaq), however, the conversion is very inefficient with no more than 21% being converted, which means eating a whole lot of flax.(http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/020810p22.shtml). 

2) EPA and DHA - long chain Omega 3 that exists primarly in fish. Some of the fish high in Omega 3: anchovies, herring, mackerel, wild salmon, sardines, tuna. Also some algae are rich is DHA. 

It is worth noting the proportion of Omega 6 to Omega 3 in food as there are many other foods that contain Omega 3 but the proportion of Omega 6 is much higher hence they are not counted as good sources of Omega 3 (i.e., hemp hearts). Some claim that pasture raised animals might be a good source of Omega 3 however, there is not enough evidence to conclude if the ratio meets the mark.

How to find a good Omega 3 supplement:

- look for supplements with 3rd party certification. The International Fish Oil Standards Program (IFOS) is the world's highest standard for purity, potency, and freshness in fish oil supplements. 

The IFOS certification takes into consideration quantity of PCBs, dioxins, turans, mercury, and other toxins. (http://www.nutrasource.ca/ifos/product-reports/default.aspx)
 - look at the concentration of EPA and DHA, generally the higher the better quality it is. 

- assess additives, typically you should only see gelatin, glycerin, tocopherol, colouring.

- watch for enteric (synthetic) coatings as they may contain BPA or PVC.

- open the capsule to inspect it, smell it. It should not have an unpleasant smell.
- while top rating brands can be very pricy- over CAD $300, some IFOS certified brands are much more reasonable.

References:

https://labdoor.com/rankings/fish-oil

http://www.nutrasource.ca/ifos/product-reports/default.aspx
http://chriskresser.com/how-much-omega-3-is-enough-that-depends-on-omega-6/