Where do you go for omega-3 fatty acids? Straight to the ocean.

Three from the Sea

Some experts say we’ll run out of oil within a century, while others say it will take much longer to run dry because drilling technology is always improving.

In any case, imagine if someone offered this solution to the shrinking oil dilemma: Cars, airplanes, trucks, buses, and trains are not really the best ways to move people and cargo. Bicycles will work just as well so we should all change to bicycles now.

Right. We’ll have to get back to you on that.

I told you about a similar plan in the e-Alert “Gone Fishing” (4/1/09). I’m sure some thought this might be an April Fool’s joke: University of Toronto researchers suggest we all cut back on omega-3 fatty acid intake because A) We’re running out (several key species of fish may be depleted by mid-century), and B) omega-3s really aren’t all that  good for you anyway.

Right. We’ll have to get back to you on that.

Just one week later, new research shows that we humans are going nowhere fast without omega-3 from the sea.

Swimming with the fishes

ALA does not convert to DHA in levels significant enough to provide health benefits.

That’s according to a statement released late last month from the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL).

ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) has been featured in many e-Alerts over the years. ALA is a precursor of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids. But an ISSFAL review of ALA research suggests that the conversion of ALA to EPA is very low, and conversion to DHA is even lower.

This may be particularly disappointing news for vegetarians who don’t get DHA from fish (the most common and abundant source), but can easily get plenty of ALA from flaxseed, walnuts, dark green leafy vegetables, as well as oils made from flaxseed, linseed, rapeseed, and mustard seed.

Of course, this new research result doesn’t mean ALA is without benefits. Previous studies have shown that ALA may help promote blood vessel resiliency, while slowing and perhaps even preventing the growth of breast and colon cancers.

But for DHA, you’ll have to go to sea for the two sources of this all-important fatty acid: 1) Oily, dark-meat fish, such as tuna, salmon, and swordfish 2) Supplements extracted from microalgae (small fish ingest DHA from microalgae and
then pass it up the marine food chain) – an alternative source for vegetarians 

Parting shot

I have one last note for the Toronto researchers who claim the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are “overblown.”

A new study from the University of California San Francisco shows that men who get a very low intake of omega-3 fatty acids are five times more likely to develop advanced prostate cancer compared to men who have a high omega-3 intake. The same dramatic difference was seen even among men with a COX-2 gene that’s linked to inflammation.

This confirms the results of another study I told you about five years ago that linked high DHA and EPA intake with a significantly reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer.

As e-Alert readers are well aware, this is by no means the only omega-3 benefit. It’s just the most recent.

Sources: 
“A-Linolenic Acid Supplementation and Conversion to n-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Humans” Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, Published online 3/9/09, sciencedirect.com
“Omega-3 May Protect Prostates From Cancer: Study” Stephen Daniells, NutraIngredients-USA, 3/25/09, nutraingredients-usa.com