OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS (why flax is not a good source of EPA & DHA)
What are omega fatty acids?
Omega fatty acids (FA) are essential polyunsaturated fats that play an important role in the body's inflammatory response.
Depending on their chemical structure, they are classified as omega-3s or omega-6s:
+ Omega-3s "turn off inflammation" and are found in fatty fish + seafood.
+ Omega-6s "turn on inflammation" and are found in seeds + oils.
Both are necessary, but balance is crucial so that the inflammatory response can be turned on when needed AND off when not needed.
ALL ABOUT BALANCE
Inflammation itself is not bad (it is actually a necessary part of the immune response).
However, chronic inflammation becomes an issue when the body does not have enough omega-3s to turn it off.
The ideal ratio of omega 3 to 6 is about 1:4. But because the average American eats so much processed food (and so little seafood), it is estimated that most people's omega ratio is around 1:15 (favoring inflammation).
OMEGA 6
pro-inflammatory*
corn oil
canola oil
sunflower oil
soybean oil
grapeseed oil
cottonseed oil
sesame seeds
pepitas
walnuts
peanut butter
OMEGA 3
anti-inflammatory*
salmon
mackerel
anchovies
sardines
herring
clams
oysters
algae
fish oil
cod liver oil
*generally
What about walnuts + flaxseeds? Don't they provide omega-3s?
While plant sources do contain the precursor fatty acids, they do not provide omega-3s in a form that is useful for the human body (need to be converted).
SEAFOOD IS SUPERIOR
Fish is by far the best dietary source of omega-3s (their bodies have already done the conversion process). If you struggle to get enough fish in your diet, a quality fish oil supplement is a great alternative.
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References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Dietary Supplements. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/
Jones, D. S., Bland, J. S., & Quinn, S. (2010). Textbook of Functional Medicine. Institute for Functional Medicine.Gaby, A. R. (2017). Nutritional Medicine (2nd ed.). Fritz Perlberg Publishing.
D'Angelo, S., Motti, M. L., & Meccariello, R. (2020). ω-3 and ω-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Obesity and Cancer. Nutrients, 12(9), 2751. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092751 Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551151/
Reimers, A., & Ljung, H. (2019). The emerging role of omega-3 fatty acids as a therapeutic option in neuropsychiatric disorders. Therapeutic advances in psychopharmacology, 9, 2045125319858901. https://doi.org/10.1177/2045125319858901 Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6591664/
Sergeant, S., Rahbar, E., & Chilton, F. H. (2016). Gamma-linolenic acid, Dihommo-gamma linolenic, Eicosanoids and Inflammatory Processes. European journal of pharmacology, 785, 77–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2016.04.020 Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4975646/
Simopoulos A. P. (2016). An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity. Nutrients, 8(3), 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8030128 Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808858/