There are several different vegan supplements available that contain what Dr lands calls "long 3's" (20-22 carbon PUFAs), specifically DHA. There's even one sustainable vegetarian alternative to fish or krill oil that contains both EPA and DHA. These long 3's are derived from algae. (Small amounts of long 3's are also found in seaweed, like wakame.) These dietary supplements can allow anyone to optimize their dietary 6:3 ratio without impacting our marine environment or risking elevated levels of mercury, PCBs, dioxin, etc.
once again, another immensely valuable article and one that is immediately actionable
by so generously sharing your knowledge, research, and discoveries, you both extend and improve the quality of our lives - we are all in your debt. thank you, david!
best,
mike
Up to now, we just have been told to eat foods high in omega3s- without considering their omega6s content as well, eg. walnuts. How could such a glaring error have been perpetrated for so long? Did people assume that if a food has lots of omega3s , it will have not much omega6s?
It seems that there is a long list of omega6s foods we should have been told to cut back on, and very short list of omega3s foods we should load up on.
Thanks again David, for as usual getting to the heart of the Problem.
JG
May I encourage readers to also have a listen to some (if not all) of the talks on DAY 1 of that conference here First day of the omega 3 conference.
It's an all day conference so do drag the marker to move through the day faster.
Here is the full day's program to enable you to skip to those sections that interest you most.
► 0:20:00 - Keynote Address
Richard Carmona, M.D., 17th Surgeon General of the United States (2002-2006), Distinguished Professor, Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona
► 1:04:30 - Fundamentals of Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Biochemistry and Health
Sheila Innis, Ph.D., Director, Nutrition Research Program, B.C. Research Institute; Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Canada
► 1:12:00 - Dr. Innis discusses competition between dietary omega-3s and omega-6s
► 1:43 Omega Fatty Acids and Aggression, Suicide and Psychiatric Distress
Captain Joseph R. Hibbeln, M.D., Acting Section Chief, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
► 2:01 - Dr. Hibbeln summarizes the results of his study in soldiers, showing that lower omega-3 (DHA) levels correlated strongly with higher suicide risk, and that Dr. Michael Crawford compared the lowest measured levels in this study to the omega-3 levels in malnourished Sudanese refugees.
► 2:10:50 - Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Stress-Immune Interactions/Wound Healing
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor, S Robert Davis Chair of Medicine, Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Division of Health Psychology, Ohio State University College of Medicine
► 2:43 - Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Negative Affect and Optimization of Cognitive Functioning in Non-Patient Populations
Mathew Muldoon, M.D. MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Clinical Studies, Behavioral Physiology Laboratory, Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
► 3:16 - Omega-3s in Human Evolution
Professor Michael Crawford, Ph.D., Institute of Brain Chemistry, London
► 3:44 - Neurotrophic Effects of [Omega-3] Docosahexaenoic Acid: DHA provides nutritional armor for brain injuries
Hee Yong Kim, Ph.D. Chief, Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
► 4:16:45 - Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Physical Performance Optimization
Timothy D. Mickleborough, Ph.D., FACSM Associate Professor, Human Performance and Exercise Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University
► 4:53 - William E.M. Lands, Ph.D. Volunteer, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH
Dr. Mickleborough asked Dr. Lands to answer an audience question regarding the time it takes to raise omega-3 levels of cell membranes into the optimal range. He says that a diet high in fish oil supplements and/or fatty fish can raise the level of omega-3s in cell membranes from 10% to 20% of HUFAs (highly unsaturated fatty acids) in a few weeks, but to get to the target of 60% of HUFAs takes 5-7 months.
He also noted that the average American has 2000 grams of omega-6s stored in belly fat, and that it can take 12 months to replace enough of those with omega-3s by cutting back on omega-6 intake and raising omega-3 intake.
► 4:57 - Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiometabolic Health?
Peter R. Howe, Ph.D. Professor and Director, Nutritional Physiology Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia
► 5:36:30 - Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Surgical, Respiratory and Intensive Care Issues
Robert G. Martindale, M.D., Ph.D. Professor and Chief, Division of General Surgery, Medical Director for Hospital Nutrition Services, Division of General Surgery, Oregon Health Science University
► 6:21:30 - Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Bleeding, Behavior, and Mood
Tomohito Hamazaki, M.D. Ph.D. Professor, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama,, Japan
► 6:51 - Conclusions from Day 1
Brigadier General Rhonda L. Cornum, Ph.D., M.D. Director of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, U.S. Army
I'd skip the first and last sections.
Do try to listen to Hibbeln and Tomohito Hamazaki. These 2 talks make it clear why we really should be taking the omega 3 insufficiency issue far more seriously. It isn't just about cutting heart diseae.
The Sheila Innis talk is a basic primer on Omega 3 metabolism.
It's a while since I first heard these but I think the Martindale talk stressed the importance of raising omega 3 levels prior to hospitalization if you want a shorter stay.
On page 2 of the article where Soybean, Corn and Olive oil are compared....the numbers given for Soybean and Corn are based on a Tablespoon while the number given for Olive states that it is based on a Tablespoon but a quick check to the KIM2 shows that is actually the amount of short 6 in a Teaspoon. The actual number listed should have been 1067, which while better than Corn and Soy doesn't give quite the shock value.
Hi David,
Can I assume that, putting it in layman's terms, if I remove nuts and all oils except olive oil (which I use anyway) my Omega-3 to Omega-6 balance would probably be ok? Is that it in a nutshell? (pun intended)
Thanks,
Mary
Dear Mary,
I wish that it would be so! Cutting out the bad oil in particular is the start we all need to make. That will go so way toward making short-chain omega-3 fatty acids more bioavailable. But still that would only improve your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 about half of the way we need to go (half is just an approximation). We absolutely then as the next step need to add seafood, particularly cold-water fish, into our regular diet (or the vegetarian alternative); see http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/106155/sources-omega-3
David
Hi David,
In addition to lowering the Omega-6 by cutting out all oils (other than olive oil) and nuts, 3 to 5 times a week on the fish addition be sufficient to get a good balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3?
The old weight watchers diet (30 years ago or so) insisted on 5 fish meals a week and no more than 1 Tablespoon of Oil a day and no nuts. I never felt better in my life than when I was on that diet, maybe it was the better Omega-6 to Omega 3 balance that the diet created!
Just before seeing this post, I opened a bottle of Barleans Flax Seed Oil and took a tablespoon = Omega 3 - 7700 mg., Omega 6 - 2240 mg. So, am I helping my diabetes/heart disease or hurting it? I rely on nutritional supplements, but Mr. Mendosa's comments on the dangers of too much Omega 6 concern me!
Dear Mary,
That is a good ratio. But you probably aren't helping your health much with it. Flax seed oil is short-chain omega 3 and 6. Unless and until you are able to reduce your overall level of omega 6, little short-chain omega 3 gets converted to the long-chain omega 3 that is much more effective, as I have written in another article here. Truly, the way to start getting a good ratio has therefore to be cutting way back on the cooking oils -- soybean, corn, sunflower, and safflower in particular -- that make up such a big part of the American diet.
Best regards,
David
Thanks to your informative article, I looked up grapeseed oil. I had found this oil listed as an ideal replacement for butter in recipes for those wishing to avoid dairy and cut down on saturated fat. I have been making bread with it instead of butter. Imagine my disappointment after reading your article: Per Tablespoon grapeseed oil Total Omega 3's =13.5mg, Total Omega 6's=9395mg. I found this information on nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/579/2
Yes, out with grapeseed oil! I am reading your posts about the omegas in hopes of avoiding another DVT (I am not diabetic - yet). I am supposed to take coumadin for life but can't take it right now. So, I am reading up on what I might do to avoid clots without coumadin. Reading your posts indicating that Omega 6's promote clotting hormones really got my attention. I have been baking almond bread (made with almond flour), snacking on almonds, eating grilled chicken...thighs, and I just bought walnuts, and I am cooking with grapeseed oil....it's like I am BEGGING for a clot! THANK YOU for your valuable information!
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Don't know if my post made it, my finger slipped on the keyboard. But in shorter form, I am taking a good look at hemp nuts (seeds)
http://www.drbronner.com/pdf/hempnutrition.pdf
Dear Fran,
Interesting, but the USDA site and KIM-2 don't include hemp. Anyway, I don't think the statement in the link, that "No other
vegetable oil offers EFAs at such high concentrations and,
more importantly, in such a desirable omega-6/omega-3
ratio" is correct. I can think of three exceptions, and I will be writing about them soon. In fact, all of those three exceptions have more omega-3 than omega-6, unlike hemp oil where the ratio is 3:1 omega-6:omega-3.
Best regards,
David