How to obtain the Omega-3 EFAs

Our body can NOT make EFAs, so we have to include them in our diet

Obtaining omega-3 is quite the challenge!

Omega-3 fatty acids are sadly lacking in the typical Western diet and obtaining them in today's world presents rather a challenge.   Ideally Omega-3 fats are best obtained from animal and plant food sources but several problems complicate this choice:

(1)  Fish (EPA / DHA):

(a)  Many fish have absorbed industrial / marine vessel-related toxins from their environment

(b)  Even when not contaminated, one can only eat so much fish!

(c)  Some people do not want to eat fish or have allergies to fish

(2)  Meat and eggs now contain little omega-3.   Since  livestock from most commercial operations do not spend much time outside eating omega-3-rich grass, and are typically fed high omega-6 content grains to fatten them up for market; likewise, commercial chickens do not go outside and scratch for grass, worms and insects;

(3)   Lifestyle and environmental factors are inhibiiting the conversion of plant-based omega-3 (ALA) (eg. in flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts), to the necessary EPA and DHA.   This results in an extremely poor conversion rate for many people.

Omega-3 ALA => Omega-3 EPA/DHA

Inhibitors to Conversion of Omega-3 ALA and Omega-6 LA Fatty Acids to DHA, EPA, AA and DGLA

Good omega-3 FOOD sources:

-   Oily Fish.   Preferably wild harvested.

Eating fish for Omega-3 EPA / DHA

-    Fresh, Organic flax meal.    Preferably fresh-ground or else cold-milled

-    Grass-fed animal meat.   E.g. Texas Longhorn Beef is known for its higher omega-3 fat content, due to being mainly grass-fed. Grass-fed beef generally contains 2-4 times as much omega-3 as its grain-fed counterparts, since 60% of fats in grass are omega-3. However, most cattle (and chickens and pigs) are “finished” on a predominantly grain diet, rich in omega-6

Those who don't eat oily fish at least 2-3 times/week need to take an omega-3 supplement

The challenge of obtaining food-source omega-3 can be partialy overcome by making better food choices, but since omega-3 is so necessary for our health, it has become necessary to supplement this crucial nutrient.

The SUPPLEMENTAL Omega-3 Sources:   All need to be third-party certified for purity

•   Fish body oil (FBO).   In natural bioavailable triglyceride (TG) form.  Some are virtually unprocessed and are the next best thing to eating fish (e.g. wild salmon oil ).  Other FBOs have been processed to remove toxins and concentrate their fatty acids (ethyl esters), and some have been further processed to convert the EEs back into triglycerides, called re-esterified triglycerides (rTGs)

 •   Krill Oil.   60% in TG form and 40% in phospholipid form (purported to be 25-30% more bioavailable than TG form, but unproportionally more expensive)

•   Cod liver oil (CLO).    In natural bioavailable TG form. Also contains substantial amounts of vitamins A and D.

But . . . it's all about the details:

How to choose a good marine oil supplement

•   Flax seed Oil

INITIAL Daily Omega 3 Doses to overcome deficiency

Life-long Maintenance Doses of Essential Fatty Acids