Quote of the Month
“I just want to be one of the people running through the flower fields in the allergy medicine commercials”
You may be wondering what Omega 3’s have to do with allergies. Well, to summarize in a simple sentence…allergies and sensitivities are a sign of inflammation in the body and omega 3’s help to fight that inflammation!
In fact, several studies have demonstrated that dietary omega-3’s fatty improve allergy and asthma symptoms in children (Asthma attacks can often come from exposure to various allergens).
The next sentence is important…
The body does not make omega-3 fatty acids, so the ONLY way to get them is by ingesting them.
There are basically 3 types of food sources that contain Omega 3’s:
- Plants – they contain ALA (alpha lipoic acid) such as flax, chia, hemp, pumpkin seeds, sesame, walnuts
- Fish – they contain EPA and DHA such as salmon, sardines, mackerel
- Mammalian – contains DPA such as seal, mother’s milk, duck, turkey, venison, eggs
It’s important to note that plant and fish forms must be converted into mammalian form by the body in order to be absorbed…and of course this only works if your digestive system is working properly – which more than likely is not.
The next sentence is equally important…
Not all omega 3’s are created equal!
You see, many foods contain not just omega 3’s but also omega 6’s or 9’s. 9’s are inflammatory and too many omega’s 6’s are inflammatory as well. In fact, the ideal ratio of omega 3’s to 6’s should be 1:1. For example here are examples of omega 6 to 3 ratios:
Beef, grass-fed and Bison 4:1
Beef, grain-fed 10:1
Corn oil 46:1
Eggs, whole scrambled 13:1
Fish oil on average 10:1
Flax seed 1:4
Grape seed oil 696:1
Seal oil from harp seal blubber 1:1
Hemp oil 4:1
Pumpkin seed oil 3:1
Sunflower high oleic 70% 19:1
Mother’s milk 1:1
Apparently…almond, coconut and safflower oil are omega 6 only and if you didn’t already know, omega 3’s very quickly turn bad when exposed to light, heat or air – so don’t buy oils in clear bottles or cook with them.
I personally recommend people take seal oil and not fish oil. I also make sure my seal oil is high quality (Auum – Canadian) – you need to know your supplier! I really don’t consume any other oils, but will use olive or coconut oil for things. Otherwise, I will eat nuts, seeds, avocados, wild caught salmon, eggs from a farmer and I’m way too old to be drinking mother’s milk!
So if you aren’t supplementing with proper omega’s it’s time to start now.
If you’d like to read more please go to Omega 3’s
Did you Know
Omega 3’s also have been shown to benefit to other health issues, such as:
- depression
- heart disease
- Alzheimer’s,
- arthritis,
- brain development/function in children
Upcoming Events
- Saturday May 12, 2018 Burlington Wellness Marketplace – Burlington Holiday Inn