With all the new omega-3 health reports coming out over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the phrase “omega-3” plastered on everything from cereals, cookies, milk, salmon, and almost anything else that either has some grain or fish oil in it.
Grilled Salmon. Stock photo.
Earlier this year, out of 6,012 respondents to a survey by ConsumerLab.com, 74 percent said they were users of “fish oil/omega-3 supplements.” ConsumerLab.com provides independent test results and information on health, wellness, and nutrition products to consumers and healthcare professionals.
So, some questions. What are omega-3s? Do they all do the same thing? And, are there any health risks associated with them?
An omega-3 is an unsaturated fatty acid found mostly in certain kinds of fish (salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, lake trout, and albacore tuna) and plants (flaxseed, butternuts, hempseeds, walnuts, soy beans, and canola oil).
Within all this, there are three specific kinds of omega-3 acids that are nutritionally important to people’s health, which are:
- a-linolenic acid (ALA) derived from plants.
- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) derived from fish.
- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) derived from fish.
Now, some useful information to know about the plant-based ALA is that when eaten, the human body converts it into EPA, and according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “In humans, ALA is converted to EPA in small quantities (more in women that in men). Consumption of ALA may reduce cardiovascular risk or affect (improve) neurodevelopment, but benefits are less established compared with those for EPA and DHA.”
Chart courtesy of rebuild-from-depression.com.
The journal found that modest consumption of fish high in EPA and DHA (about 1-2 servings/meals a week) “reduces risk of coronary death by 36 percent.” Regarding neurological development of a fetus and baby, it found that, “DHA is preferentially incorporated into the rapidly developing brain during gestation and the first two years of infancy, concentrating in gray matter and retinal membranes.”
It was added that these findings are also supported by other “observational studies showing positive associations between maternal DHA levels or fish intake during pregnancy and behavioral attention scores, visual recognition, memory, and language comprehension in infancy.”
In addition, studies from the Journal of the American Collage of Nutrition and the American Society of Hematology have also shown EPA and DHA to have anti-inflammatory properties, beneficial in reducing the severity of effects of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and asthma.
The Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that, “There are at least 13 randomized controlled clinical trials that show the benefit from fish oil supplements in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A common feature of the studies has been a reduction in symptoms and in the number of tender joints. There was (also) a reduction in the dose of analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs.”
American Society of Hematology agreed, also citing “the beneficial impact of EPA and aspirin in the cardiovascular arena.”
Despite the benefits of omega-3s derived from fish oils, there are those with concerns regarding the intake of potential toxins. On this, the Journal of the American Medical Association said, for example, that the “concentrations of methylmercury in aquatic species depend on levels of the environmental contamination and on the predatory nature and lifespan of the species.
“Larger, longer-living predators (e.g. swordfish, sharks) have higher tissue concentrations, while smaller or shorter-lived species (e.g. shellfish, salmon) have very low concentrations.”
The journal added that, “the benefits of fish intake exceed the potential risks. For women of childbearing age, benefits of modest fish intake, except a few selected species, also outweigh risks.”
Related Post
Reader comments and input are always welcomed!