Cancer Decisions® - More On Omega-3s

June 20, 2010

More On Omega-3s

Sunday, 20 June 2010

Our newsletter on omega-3s generated more than the usual amount of

reader feedback. Here are two comments I thought I would share with

readers. D.D., who is a retired professor of biochemistry at a major

American university, proposes the following:

" The Moss Reports newsletter errs when it says, in the second of these

sentences, For vegetarians, getting sufficient amounts of DHA and EPA

can be a challenge. The best sources are walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed

oil, olive oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, and avocado.

" According to USDA's authoritative Nutrient Database for Standard

Reference, none of these foods have any DHA or EPA (0.00 grams per 100

grams).

What they do have (what you evidently were thinking of), is

alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), a short-chain omega-3 fatty acid that our

bodies convert very poorly into longer-chain EPA and then potentially to

DHA. The conversion percentage is debated, but low, perhaps 10%. It is

not large enough, for example, for infants to fully meet their needs for

DHA from LNA. This is why DHA is added to infant formulas.

" LNA varies widely in the sources you mention, from 0.13 grams per 100

grams in avocados, to 53 grams per 100 grams in flax oil, according to

USDA.

Another reader, Mr. A.B., comments: " The seeds of Chia (Salvia hispanica

L.) are a good and cheap source of omega 3 fat and other valuables. Chia

seeds contain oil amounts varying between 32-39%, with the oil offering

the highest known natural percentage of alpha-linolenic fatty acid

(60-63%). Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid acting in the

human body as a substratum for the transformation into EPA and DHA

through the action of desaturation and elongation enzymes. The seeds

also contain some omega-6 essential fatty acids and exhibit a favorable

omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of 3:1. Modern diets contain too few omega-3

fatty acids. The seeds possess 19-23% protein and the amino acids of

chia protein have no limiting factors in the adult diet (i.e., they are

a complete protein source providing all of the essential amino acids in

an appropriate balance). "

Others are welcome to comment on this topic as well. We will read all

letters and publish those that we consider relevant.

--Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

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