bullet Health & EFA's

bullet EFA Overview: Omega-3's and Omega-6's

Essential fatty acids are fats that your body cannot synthesize on its own. Unlike saturated fats or cholesterol, essential fats must be eaten in the diet. There are two families of essential fatty acids: the omega-3 family and the omega-6 family. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the parent fatty acid of the omega-3 family. The parent fatty acid of the omega-6 fatty acid family is linoleic acid (LA). ALA is converted in a series of steps to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), then to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (check out the EFA flow diagram which illustrates this relationship.)

bulletWhy Flax Oil and Omega-3's are gaining prominence...

The diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors was low in both total fat and saturated fat and was higher in polyunsaturated fat. Since then, the relative ratio of our essential fatty acid intake has become grossly skewed: whereas our ancestors' diets consisted of roughly equal amounts of omega-3's and 6's, the typical North American diet contains 20 to 30 times more omega-6's. In fact, one study indicates that the U.S. diet contains less than 1% of omega-3 fatty acids.

What does an EFA imbalance mean to your body?

This imbalance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in our diets contributes to a range of health problems, including blood clotting, constriction of the arteries, heart arrhythmias and an increase in the inflammatory response. In response, most nutrition experts recommend replacing some omega-6 fatty acids with those of the omega-3 family.

Omega-6 fatty acid intake: cause for concern?

The main polyunsaturated fat in the North American diet consists of omega-6 fatty acids. Vegetable oils, such as corn oil, sunflower oil and peanuts are common sources of omega-6's. But there may be a problem: an excess of one family of fatty acids in the diet appears to interfere with the metabolism of the other family. In other words, the preponderance of omega-6 fatty acids in the North American diet appears to interfere with the conversion of ALA to its beneficial metabolites, EPA and DHA. As a result, less EPA and DHA are being incorporated into tissue lipids. Low levels of EPA and DHA have been linked to a variety of health problems. This competition between the omega-6 family and the omega-3 family underscores the importance of increasing our dietary omega-3 intake.

(Getting confused? Here's another chance to review the EFA flow chart).

bulletFlax Oil and your health: the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids

Flax oil is the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (including its parent fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Recent clinical studies suggest that "ALA has substantial value in reducing the risk of mortality associated with the two major Western causes of mortality: coronary vascular disease and cancer"1.

Research is currently underway to elucidate the role of dietary omega-3 fatty acids in both reducing the risk and the treatment of a range of chronic diseases. These include:

  • atherosclerosis
    • (fatty plaque formation on the inner lining of the arteries)
  • high LDL cholesterol levels
    • (the "bad" cholesterol)
  • cardiac arrhythmias
    • (irregular heartbeat)
  • hypertension
    • (abnormally high blood pressure)
  • inflammatory and autoimmune disorders
  • some types of cancers
  • antithrombotic properties of ALA
    • (i.e. ALA prevents clogging of the arteries, which reduces the risk of fatal cardiovascular events and stroke)

    EPA and DHA, derived from ALA as found in our organic flax oil, have been shown to be beneficial in the following health problems:

      Benefits of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
    • lowers lipids: lowers LDL (the bad) cholesterol and increases HDL (the good) cholesterol
    • decreases blood clotting effects
    • has anti-arrhythmic effect
    • has anti-inflammatory effect (via eicosanoids, by weakening the effect of pro-inflammatory hormones)
      •
      Benefits of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
    • comprises tissue of brain and retina: high levels are required for learning, memory, and visual performance
    • plays a vital role during pregnancy and infant development
    • high levels required to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease
    • beneficial for autoimmune disorders and kidney disease
      •

    Essential fatty acids and your skin

    Essential fatty acids (EFA's) comprise the delicate membranes surrounding each human cell. EFA's maintain youthful, radiant skin by preserving the lipid barriers between the skin's upper and lower layers. They are also actively involved in replenishing collagen and elastin in the dermis.

    1Cunnane SC. In: Flaxseed in Human Nutrition. Cunnane SC and Thompson LU, eds. Champaign, IL: AOCS Press, 1995, p. 123.


    bulletRecommended EFA dietary intake for adults

    Table 1: *Recommended dietary Omega-6:Omega-3 ratios
    Organization
    Omega-6:
    Omega-3 ratio
    **Health Canada
    4:1 to 10:1
    Food & Agriculture Association/World Health Organization Joint Committee
    5:1 to 10:1
    *Current dietary ratio ranges from 10:1 to 25:1
    **Health Canada recommends that pregnant women increase omega-3 intake by 0.05 g during 1st trimester, and by 0.16 g during 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Lactating women should consume an additional 0.25 g.


    bullet The Flax Advantage

    Flax is by far the richest plant source of ALA's.

    Table 2: ALA content of some foods
    Oils ALA Content (g/100 g raw oil)
    Flaxseed 53.3
    Canola (conventional) 9.2
    Canola (high oleic) 0.1
    Walnut 10.4
    Wheat germ 6.9
    Soybean 6.8
    Rice Bran 1.6
    Corn 0.9
    Olive 0.5
    Butterfat 0.5
    Table Adapted from R.S. Bhatty, "Nutrient composition of whole flaxseed and flaxseed meal." Flaxseed in Human Nutrition, S. Cunnane & L.U. Thompson, ed. AOCS Press, 1995.

    checkmarkUnlike fish sources, organic flax oil provides you with a safe, non-toxic source of omega-3 fatty acids.

    • Fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids tend to be of the cold, deep variety, such as salmon, trout, mackerel, rockfish, herring, whitefish, anchovy and tuna. The drawback of fish sources of Omega 3's, however, is their potential for dangerous toxin content arising from current levels of water pollution. In particular, fresh water fish are prone to the accumulation of heavy metals and pesticide contamination. Among other deleterious effects to health, these toxic chemicals have been shown to cause fetal tissue damage.

      Pregnant women are cautioned against eating swordfish, shark or fresh tuna and all fresh water fish.

      • Green leafy plants: Up to 80% of the fatty acids in green, leafy plants are alpha-linolenic acids. However, they have only small amounts of lipids, so leafy plants don't contribute significant amounts of ALA to our diets.

      • Other sources: ALA is also found in the fats and oils of canola, wheat germ and soybeans; in nuts such as butternuts and walnuts and in red and black currant seeds. Other sources include omega-3 enriched eggs and breads with milled flax seeds.


        bulletIs it safe to bake with flaxseed?

    Yes! The thermal stability of flaxseed has been the focus of recent research, and the answer may surprise you: although the ALA (alpha-linolenic acid, the parent omega-3 fat) in flax oil can't withstand heat, whole and milled flaxseed is stable under typical baking temperatures (350 F or 178 C) for up to two hours.

    Why? First, let's consider the effects of temperature. As a batter or dough bakes, its internal temperature peaks at the point at which the starch gelatinizes. This "gelatinization point" is typically about 203 F (95 C) for a wheat flour-sugar mix. This means that the internal temperature of the baked good does not reach the oven temperature.

    The fatty acids in baked goods remain intact when heated for up to two hours at 350 F (178 C), and up to one hour at 662 F (350 C).

    Time of baking is also a factor: batters are typically baked for 20-25 minutes, far below experimental conditions.

    To enjoy the nutritional benefits of Sila Nutrition Organic Flax Seed in your baking, always grind first before using.

    Or, try our Sila Nutrition Cold-Milled Organic Flax Seed with Lecithin, which we grind freshly for you.

    bullet Note: Whole flax seeds are not absorbed by the body and therefore serve only as a laxative. Ensure that doughs and batters contain milled flaxseed in order to derive the benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids. We make a great milled flax/lecithin blend!

    Baking tip: Milled organic flaxseed can be substituted in any recipe by simply multiplying the fat content called for in your recipe by 3. For example, use 3/4 cup ground flax seed in a muffin recipe calling for 1/4 cup oil.

    Visit our Recipe Rolodex for recipe ideas!

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    References:
    1. Charley H. Food Science, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1982, pp. 33-45; 124-130; 232-245.
    2. Chen Z-Y, et al. J Am Oil Chem Soc. 1992; 71:629-32.
    3. Cunnane SC, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995; 61:62-68.
    4. Ratnayake WMN, et al. J Nutr Biochem. 1992; 3:232-240.
    5. Malcolmson LJ, et al. Flax Council of Canada, Internal Report, 1997, 15pp.
    6. Malcolmson LJ, et al. Proc Flax Inst. 1998; 57:75-80.

     
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