I wanted to shed some light on omega-3 fatty acids since they have been mentioned on and off throughout the semester. The key to getting the most benefit from polyunsaturated fatty acids is balance between omega-3 and 6. The typical American consumes approximately 20 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid) than omega-3 fatty acids. Predominant sources of omega-6 include soy, corn, safflower, and sunflower oils. In contrast there is a relatively low amount of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid) in the western diet as its predominant sources include dark leafy green vegetables and flaxseed. Linoleic acid(LA) is converted to arachidonic acid (AA) while alpha-linolenic is converted to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Cold, water fatty fish such as salmon and trout are good sources of dietary EPA. Both omega-6 and 3 are considered to be essential fatty acids as they are not synthesized endogenously.
Increasing dietary omega-3 fatty acids can shift the balance of the eicosanoids produced to a less inflammatory mixture through EPA competing with AA pathway. I have included a schematic below:
There is also a good journal article on polyunsaturated fatty acids in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritoin.
Ref:
James, M et al. Dietary Polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediator production. Am J Clin Nutr 2000, 71(suppl):343s-8s.
2 comments:
great post. I know that countries/cultues who eat a diet more rich in fish than a Western Diet consure a better ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids. I wonder if they also suffer less from illnesses/disease with an inflammatory component?
I lived in a high humidity environment for 15 years and then moved to Denver. The dry weather caused me to have a flaky scalp. I started taking an Omega-3 fish pill every night before going to bed and the problem went away. My skin is less dry as well.
Barry Sears, The Zone, also talked about eicosonoids (hormone). He stressed we need to eat less carbs, more protein and more good fats. The 40% 40% 30% balanced diet also reduces inflammation. My cholesterol also went down because of this diet.
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