FATS / OILS MENU
General
Food Fats and Oils – Healthy or Not?
Meet the Fatty Acid Families – SFAs, MUFAs & PUFAs


Fat’s digestive journey
Cholesterol
Cholesterol – Our Hero
Cholesterol and Saturated fat are NOT the “Darth Vader” of ischaemic heart disease

Food Oils
Selecting, storing and cooking with oils
Best Frying Fats
Expeller-pressed vs, Solvent extracted?
Animal fat
Avocado oil
Butter
Canola oil
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Palm oil
Peanut oil


Essential Fatty Acids
EFAs – Fats of Life!
Damaged / Toxic Fats
Health issues help w/ anti-inflammatory EFA supplementation
EFA Deficiency Symptoms
“Omega-3 Fix”
Omega-3 Fix” – Omega-3 +++
We need more omega-3
How to do the Omega-3 Fix
EFA amounts in foods
Flax seed – 0mega-3-rich Oil, Lignans, Fiber
– Flax seed baking and storage stability
Eating fish for omega-3
– Are fish too toxic to eat?
– Salmon choices
How to choose a good marine oil supplement
– Fish oil
– Cod liver oil
– Krill oil
– Typical processing for marine oils
Science behind the “Omega-3 Fix”
Can we convert plant Omega-3 ALA to the needed EPA / DHA ?
“Omega-3 Fix” Recipes
Oats ‘n’ Flax Porridge
Fruit Slushy
Creamy Nuts ‘n’ Berries
Budwig Salad Dressing
Budwig Spread
“Omega-6 – “How-to”
How to obtain good omega-6 fats
Borage, Blackcurrant or Evening Primrose Oils for Omega-6 GLA
EFAs – 5 vital functions:
(1) Cell Membrane integrity
(2) Cellular energy production
(3) Eicosanoids-“First Responders”
• EFA Conversion Chart
• Specific Eicosanoid Effects
(4) Systems Support
(5) Child Development

Can we convert plant O₃ ALA to the needed EPA/DHA - Or must we get them directly from marine oil supplements?"

Abbreviations:

PUFAs (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids), incl. the EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids):

Omega 6 (O6)

LA (linolenic acid)
GLA (gamma-linolenic acid)
DGLA (Dihomo-gamma-linolenic)
AA (Arachidonic acid)

Omega-3 (O3):

ALA (alpha linolenic acid)
SDA (stearidonic acid)
EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid)
DHA (Docosahexenoic Acid)

A much debated question . . .

Our cell membranes necessarily contain a supply of ALA, which can be obtained by consuming the fats in such as flaxseed, nuts and seeds. However, enzymes (Δ6D and Δ5D) in our body are needed to convert and elongate this omega-3 form to its longer carbon chain forms EPA and DHA.

EPA is needed to produce “calming” eicosanoids (e.g. prostaglandins and leukotrienes) to balance the “call-to-action” eicosanoids.
DHA is needed to maintain healthy function of the active organs: brain, nerves, eyes, testes.

The answer to this literally “billion-dollar” question greatly affects the share of profits in Omega-3 supplement sales, however . . .

If ALA was not converted to EPA/DHA, those who don’t eat fish or supplement marine oil would be dead or near dead, since DHA only remains in the body for about a week.

Diet, age, health, genes, other conditions affect conversion enzymes Δ6D and Δ5D

Inhibitors and enhancers for ALA conversion to EPA / DHA

Study results

Study results are mixed, but most concur that ALA converts as far as EPA.

This allows eicosanoids produced from EPA to counter and “calm down” the “call-to-action” prostaglandins, leukotrienes etc. produced from omega-6.

Women seem to be able to convert ALA more efficiently than men.

Likely controlled by estrogen to ensure Omega-3 supply for her baby during pregnancy.

Studies show conversion rate of ALA to DHA is low. Many studies show a conversion rate of ~1% in infants and even less in adults. Few studies demonstrate an increase of DHA in blood or breast milk after several weeks of ALA supplementation.

Chart below references various study results.

* Omega-3 DPA (Docosapentaenoic Acid) is an intermediate fatty acid between EPA and DHA found mainly in fish oil, seal oil and grass-fed red meat. To explain why some studies produced no DHA – leading expert on fats Dr. Udo Erasmus, points out that many factors affect conversion rate, and that when the brain has sufficient DHA, feedback inhibition prevents further conversion until the DHA is used up, to protect the body from getting too much DHA (E.g. by taking too much DHA-containing fish oil).

THE EVIDENCE concerning Percentage Amount of ALA CONVERTED to EPA,DPA and DHA
ALA Conversion Study Title / Publication / Details	EPA	DPA*	DHA
Infant monkeys fed pre-natal and post-natal diets containing only ALA from soy oil had DHA in the blood, brain, retina, and other organs.	•	•	•
Supplementing lactating women with flaxseed oil does not increase DHA in their milk, AJCN Jan 2003 – 7 Women took 20 g flaxseed oil (10.7 g ALA) daily for 4 wks, breast-milk, plasma, and erythrocyte fatty acid levels were tested. Spectrum® supplied the flax oil!	Incr	Incr	No
A group of women were given 15mg of flaxseed oil (ALA) daily for 12 weeks. NOT ONE HAD AN INCREASE of EPA or DHA within their blood plasma or the red blood cells.	No	No
4 pre-menopausal, non-lactating women, 3 men, ages 24 -54 received 15 g flaxseed oil (11 g ALA) daily for 12 wks. Same results for both plasma and erythrocytes.	No	No	No
Pawlosky et al,“Physiological compartmental analysis of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism in adult humans.”Journal of Lipid Research 2001. 4 male / 4 female ages 22-37. Data obtained from an isotope tracer.	.2%	.13%	.05%
From exhaled CO2, it was determined that these women burned ~ 22% of ALA for energy. Burdge et al 2002 – “Conversion Study of ALA to EPA, DPA* and DHA in young women”.	21%	6%	.9%
2002 study with 6 young men – Results on exhaled CO2, determined that these men burned ~ 33% of ALA for energy. Burdge GC, Jones AE, Wootton SA. Eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids are the principal products of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism in young men. British Journal of Nutrition 2002 Oct;88(4):355-63	8%	8%	No
Produced a total 17% Omega-3 Emken EA et al 1994: “Dietary LA influences desaturation and acylation of deuterium-labelled LA and ALAin young adult males.”Biochimica et Biophysica Acta.	7%
Conversion influenced by absolute amounts of ALA and LA, not their ratioAlpha-linolenic conversion in adults: 14 men 15 women Goyens et al: Netherlands;	7%	.07%	.07%
Review shows infants convert; Innis SM, Sprecher H, Hachey D, Edmond J, Anderson RE. Neonatal polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism. Lipids. 1999 Feb;34(2):139-49.
Premature infants convert ; Carnielli VP, Wattimena DJ, Luijendijk IH, Boerlage A, Degenhart HJ, Sauer PJ. The very low birth weight premature infant is capable of synthesizing arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids from linoleic and linolenic acids. Pediatr Res. 1996 Jul;40(1):169-74 C Billeaud Billeaud C, Bougle D, Sarda P, Combe N, Mazette S, Babin F, Entressangles B, Descomps B, Nouvelot A, Mendy F. Effects of preterm infant formula supplementation with alpha-linolenic acid with a linoleate/alpha-linolenate ratio of 6: a multicentric study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997 Aug;51(8):520-6.
All ages can convert; Brenna JT. Efficiency of conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to long chain n-3 fatty acids in man. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2002 Mar;5(2):127-32.: