An Omega 3 per day Keeps the Doctor Away: Will Omega 3 or Omega 6 Fats Win the Race in your Body?

What would you do if there was a supplement or food that could lower all forms of inflammation in your body, decrease risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, and make you smarter?

That supplement/food is omega 3 fats.  Omega 3 fats came into fashion a few years back, but many did not realize its critical significance for health and longevity.

Lowering Inflammation

Omega 3 fats lower inflammation in the body, and omega 6 fats increase inflammation.  When animals eat grass, we receive omega 3 fats as a result of consuming them, and when they eat corn or grains we receive omega 6 fats.

Since omega 3 and omega 6 fats compete for first line in the body, whichever is more prevalent will win the race.

The 3 omega’s are ALA, DHA, and EPA.  DHA is essential in brain development.  It also can lower cortisol and stress levels in the body. 

ALA is found in ground flax seed and is important for hormone stabilization.  Studies show the lignan found in flax seeds rids the body of bad hormones which can lead to cancer.

EPA can lower risk of disease states including diabetes and heart disease.  It is imperative to get three omega’s to have the most benefit in the body.

Studies show omega 3 fats:

Lower depression
Increase IQ in children whose mother’s took omega 3’s during pregnancy
Lower violence in general
Lower risk of autoimmune diseases
Lower insulin resistance, heart disease and diabetes

The list of positives is fairly long.  If you go to the search engine pubmed which shows abstracts of major studies, and type in omega 3’s, you’ll find at least 20,000 studies in their database.

Are we getting enough omega 3’s?  100 years ago we did not have to worry about getting enough omega 3’s.  Our animals ate grass and pre-packaged processed foods did not exist.

In the last few decades our government and control of farms geared our food supply away from the natural way animals ate, which increased our intake of omega 6 fats.

In addition, the food supply is filled with soybean and cottonseed oils, omega 6 “seed oils” that require industrial processes to extract the oils, and did not exist 100 years ago.

The hard drive of your body starts in the brain – the way you walk, move, hormone function, etc.  If the brain does not get the food it needs, these systems can become compromised.

What can you do for the Omega 3 fats to win the Race in your body?

1. Eat grass-fed beef, pastured poultry and eggs
2. Eat Wild Fish a few times a week
3. Avoid prepackaged processed foods
4. Use at least 1 tablespoon per day of ground flax seed
5. Take an omega 3 supplement with at least 500 mg. each of DHA and EPA
   
6. Use an oil high in omega 3’s such as extra-virgin olive oil and lower intake of omega 6 oils such as soybean, cottonseed, corn, vegetable, safflower, and sunflower

Your brain and body will thank you and you’ll spend less time visiting your doctor.  Maybe the old adage should say “an Omega 3 per day keeps the doctor away."

What about Omega 3 Supplements?

Omegas 3’s have made it into the mainstream of lifestyle importance.  Until about four years ago I recommended omega 3’s to only those with heart disease.  Research exploded exponentially linking increased intake of omega 3’s to lowered risk of not only heart disease, but other types of inflammation such as arthritis, insulin resistance, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, hormonal disorders, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, the fish oil/flax seed combination is helpful for symptoms associated with PMS, menopause, and hormone stabilization in general.  ADD and ADHD can also be helped.

How can one simple thing help so many medical problems?  Feeding your body starts with adequate food for your brain.  Since a large percentage of your brain is fat, feeding and lubricating the brain with enough fat can restore the rest of the systems in your body to balance.

The 3 Omegas

There are 3 types of omega 3 fats:  ALA, DHA and EPA. 

Ground Flax Seed

ALA is found in the highest concentration in ground flax seed.  One tablespoon per day meets your needs.  I like Spectrum brand since it has a nice taste.  Put it on your morning yogurt or cottage cheese.  The flax seed has to be ground in order to obtain the ALA.  Otherwise, it goes through your system as fiber.

Fish Oil

Fish oil contains the remaining 2 omega 3’s:  DHA and EPA.  What type of fish oil is best?  Many times the brand of a supplement is not all that significant.  However, with fish oil it IS important.  Proper storage and quality brands are important for freshness, avoiding rancidity and avoidance of PCB’s.  Several brands were sued in the last few months due to PCB’s.

The brand of fish oil I usually recommend is Carlson.  A recent study showed higher amounts of omega 3’s greatly lowered many health risks.  Therefore, having at least 1000 mg. of both DHA and EPA is recommended.

Since a typical gel capsule contains only 200-300 mg. of each it requires taking at least 5 capsules per day.  One teaspoon of the Carlson Lemon Fish oil contains 800 mg. of EPA and 500 mg. of DHA.  Taking one tablespoon is sufficient for the day.  It tastes like lemon oil and has the highest level of absorption.

One tablespoon per day each of ground flax seed and fish oil and less risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s?  It’s a slam dunk to me.

Statin-Induced Muscle Pain - What is the Culprit?

About 10 years ago I got a drastic call from one of my patients.  He was in the hospital and felt like he was dying.  He had a multitude of medical problems but at his last visit he complained of horrible muscles aches and pains.  Since he was on a high dose of statin drugs I asked him to speak to his physician regarding his symptoms.  On the other end of the line he said “Susan – you were correct.  I woke up unable to move this morning and they took me to the ER.  It was the statins.”

Although this story is drastic, there are many individuals who have moderate to crippling muscle aches and pains shortly after beginning statin drugs.  What causes this pain and is there a solution?

Physicians prescribe statin drugs for a high cholesterol level.  All the cells of our bodies have a framework of cholesterol – i.e. cholesterol is the structure of the cells.  Changing the cholesterol level can change the structure of the cells, which can be a precursor to muscle pain.

In addition, remember your school days in Science class learning about the mitochondria or “powerhouse” of the cells.  Statins actually lower a compound that helps make energy within the mitochondria called Coenzyme Q10.  Lowering this important compound can lead to muscle wasting, weakness and inflammation of the tendons and ligaments.

A more recent study showed that Vitamin D deficiency could be partly responsible for statin-induced muscle pain.

If you have a high cholesterol level or are at risk for heart disease consider taking fish oil.  It contains the powerful omega 3 fats called DHA and EPA which can substantially lower inflammation in the body. Cells that have adequate DHA and EPA are healthy and flexible.  Good nutrients can enter and waste can exit.  Cells that are deficient in DHA and EPA are rigid.

If you do take a statin drug, make sure you are taking a Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin D3 supplement to avoid possible symptoms.    Consider speaking to your physician if you have muscle aches or pains so you don’t end up in the hospital like my patient of long ago.

How Can I eat Healthy During Pregnancy?

Since we've been discussing the genetics of what happens in the womb, what are the guidelines for having a healthy pregnancy?

What you eat and how active you are determines your child’s future well-being.  Although specific recommendations may vary hitting these key foods will help set the tone for health.

Here is a checklist for healthy eating for fertility, pregnancy, or breast-feeding.

   Strive for balance in your diet:

• Protein - lean sources of beef, lamb, chicken, and fish; eggs, nuts/seeds, nut butters at each meal and snack
• Carbohydrates - fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed whole grains
• Fats – omega-3 rich and monounsaturated fats (avocados, nuts/seeds and olive oil) on a daily basis:
•        ALA – found in ground flax seed
•        DHA  -found in fish and fish oil
•        EPA – found in fish and fish oil

Eat or drink dairy - 3 to 4 servings of plain low fat yogurt, cottage/ricotta cheese, hard cheeses (grass-fed)

Consume fruits - 3 to 4 servings per day, including one citrus or vitamin-C rich fruit

Eat your vegetables - dark green leafy and orange/yellow/red daily

Choose real, whole foods - avoid processed and refined foods.  Choose fresh, unprocessed foods, and as much as possible, organic and non-genetically modified foods and animal products that are grass fed 

Avoid diet foods or foods with non-nutritive sweeteners 

Minimize caffeine and avoid alcohol

Childhood Obesity starts with Formulas?

Last week’s blog regarding the New York Times article citing bypass surgery for children set off a raw nerve with readers.  Childhood obesity is multi-factorial but can it actually start with the first bottle of formula?

One ingredient to avoid on food labels is high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup.  Many infant formulas list this ingredient as second or third.  Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF, gave an elaborate lecture on you-tube regarding the consequences of sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  He blew the whistle on the obesity epidemic starting with corn syrup in infant formulas.

Many women are unable to breastfeed for multiple reasons.  A few years ago some of my female clients turned to me for help in selecting an appropriate formula.  After spending many hours online and in the store I only found one or two formulas that came close to something I would recommend.

Besides corn syrup in cow-based formulas there even more issues with soy formulas since they are made with soy protein isolate (SPI).  To make SPI, manufactures take soybeans that are about 90 percent genetically modified, and mix them with a solution to remove the fiber.  This fiber-less soybean is then dried at high temperatures which denature the quality of the protein.  In addition, soy acts like a pseudo-estrogen in the body and it is estimated that an infant fed soy formula receives the amount of estrogen per day in at least 5 birth control pills – not such a great start to life.

Formula makers are now supplementing with the important omega-3 fats DHA and EPA to help the baby’s brain development.  However, the sources of these essential fats can be poor or contain inadequate amounts.

It might be time to demand infant formula makers to make a change-maybe the first step needed in Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity.  Women receive cases of these formulas free in the hospital to encourage usage, unknowingly feeding their babies something which could influence their future health.  It’s time we started preventing obesity from the beginning – rather than prescriptions later.