Desparately Seeking Essential Fatty Acids

[Tom]

So. I've been learning about EFAs: that there are omega-3s and omega-6s, that vegetarians often get plenty of 6s but maybe not enough 3s, that an excess of 6s to 3s might not be good.

I started eating a tablespoonful of ground flax seeds a day. They contain the basic omega-3 ALA, which can be converted to EPA and DHA- but sometimes not very efficiently. I looked around for a supplement which isn't fish-derived and finally found a DHA supplement at my local food co-op, which specifies that it's from algal sources.

It also contains gelatin. :mad:

[*AHIMSA*]

Follow the link to Vegan Essentials and find vegan DHA supplements. :)

Add a lot more ground flax!

[Irizary]

here:
http://www.vitacost.com/Flora-Vegetarian-DHA-Flax-Oil

[LovelyPerv]

It's been my understanding that the Omega-6:Omega-3 ration was a problem with omni's, too...

Omega-3's get removed during the refining of foods, and Omega-6 is what stays behind.

One of my books says the general public has a ratio of 21:1, with the Omega-6's being the higher number. It went on to say that vegetarians and vegans have a better ratio... like, 6:1 or 10:1...I can't really remember. Nonetheless...the optimal ratio should be around 2:1, and that's where supplements come it.

I take a spoonful of flax oil a day, and I try to eat walnuts every day or every other day.

[Cyrillia]

Look at this: http://www.water4.net/ - it's a vegan DHA/EPA supplement.

Cyr.

[Minibean]

My favourite vegan DHA supplement: http://www.drfuhrman.com/shop/DHA.aspx

[Tom]

Thanks, everybody! I know these fatty acids are necessary because they are used in our bodies and we can't make them ourselves- we have to consume them. But at present, there's evidently no official recommendation about how much we need. I wish there were.

[Jon_Veggie]

Hemp and flax seeds as well as walnuts should provide you with what you need.

[nuttgirl]

I love hemp seeds! I take 1 tablespoon a day. It contains omega 3, 6, and 9.

[Lothar M Kirsch]

To get a better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids also means trying to cut on omega-6. Safflor is rich in omega-6, better would be olive oil as it contains mostly MUFAs (monounsaturated) that don't count in the ratio.

[kazyeeqen]

I second that omnis also don't necessarily get enough.

Flax oil is also a nice way to get the 3s. I think you need less to get the recommended amount than ground flax, and it is delicious (as is the ground, of course). It doesn't want to be cooked, but there are a lot of ways to incorporate it into a daily diet w/o cooking. The recommended amount depends on how much of the others you have, right? Because it is a ratio, not a set amount.

Walnuts and hemp, as I understand it, have a really good balance, so they aren't going to push you either way, whereas flax oil has more 3s than 6s and oils like safflower and corn (I think, I don't remember which were bad) have more 6s. Since it is so easy to get 6s anyway, it's no good to use that kind of oil everyday. I thought that olive and canola were good though, they don't unbalance you either way... Not sure about canola though, maybe someone else knows?

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Canola is equal to olive oil concerning omega fatty acids. And you can also count peanut oil as part of this group. Also almond oil - anyone using almont oil???

[Indian Summer]

Canola is equal to olive oil concerning omega fatty acids.
That's not exactly what I've read ... Canola oil (a.k.a. rapeseed oil in Europe) has a ratio of approx. 2:1 omega6 to omega3, which is well within the recommended upper limit of 4:1.
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/fat
Olive oil has a higher ratio (approx. 10:1 in some studies), but it seems there is also somewhat less omega3s and omega6s in it, so I guess it becomes less important. (It has more omega-9 a.k.a. oleic acid a.k.a. monounsaturated fats instead.)

[Lothar M Kirsch]

That's not exactly what I've read ... Canola oil (a.k.a. rapeseed oil in Europe) has a ratio of approx. 2:1 omega6 to omega3, which is well within the recommended upper limit of 4:1.
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/fat
Olive oil has a higher ratio (approx. 10:1 in some studies), but it seems there is also somewhat less omega3s and omega6s in it, so I guess it becomes less important. (It has more omega-9 a.k.a. oleic acid a.k.a. monounsaturated fats instead.)
Yes, you're right about the ratios, but they don't count as these oils do not contain large amounts of PUFAs (as you saif - less important). Even with walnuts one isn't sure that they contain enough omega-3 to increase the overall ration in favour of omega-3.
And of course not to mention the canola issue: there are different genetic strains, which have different contents of PUFAs; but the canola oil that's mostly sold has been designed for shelf life and to stand heat (cooking).