Fish oils are one of the most commonly sold supplements on the market and with good reason. Our bodies need some fats for survival and optimum functioning, however there are several types of fat, and getting enough of the right types of fat are important for overall health.
Saturated fat – which is found in meat and other animal products. There has been much controversy over saturated fats, its’ link to cardiovascular risk and the limit that we should have within our diet. (We need some saturated fat for some functions within the body). The jury is out on that, but what is clear, is that unsaturated fats have a plethora of health benefits compared to saturated fats, so the ratio of unsaturated vs saturated should be higher. Saturated fats should be the ones we choose for cooking though, as they are stable under high heat – butter, coconut oil and animal fat.
Trans fats are the worst type of fats, and are known to contribute to many disease states such as high LDL cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions. The majority of trans fat consumption is from hydrogenated vegetable oils – canola, sunflower etc. These oils have been treated in such a way that their molecular structure becomes toxic and substantially increases the risk of health issues. These oils are often found in products such as margarines, breads, cakes, biscuits, chips, crackers and many other processed foods. Several countries including the USA and Denmark many years ago publicised that consuming trans fats is not safe, and set laws around the inclusion of these in foods. There is no such restriction in NZ, so we need to be more aware and keep to a minimum to avoid any detriment.
Unsaturated fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
Omega 3s are types of polyunsaturated fats - ALA, EPA and DHA. Functions of these include
· Lowers blood pressure
· Lowers cholesterol
· Helps prevent plaque formation in the arteries
· Helps prevent blood clots
· Anti-inflammatory
· Aids hormonal balance
· Decreases cancer risk
· Aids blood sugar balance and can help with diabetes treatment
· Can help alleviate depression and ADHD
· Neuroprotective, so good for Alzheimer’s and other brain related disorders
· Helps regulate immune system
· Supports healthy skin and ageing
ALA is found in walnuts, avocados, chia seeds, flaxseeds (aka linseeds), hemp seeds, extra virgin cold pressed olive oil. ALA is beneficial to health, but needs to be converted in the body to EPA and DHA for the major effects above. This process is largely inefficient, meaning that it is difficult to obtain the required amounts of omega 3s from these sources alone.
EPA and DHA are found in oily fish (salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel), algae oil and krill oil. If we do not consume much of these foods regularly, supplementation may be advised.
We need between 250-500mg of EPA and DHA daily for systems requiring these nutrients to function well. When using this nutrient medicinally such as for inflammatory conditions, cardiac disease or mental health, dosage should be more like 4000mg (4g) daily.
When supplementing any nutrient, quality is important – and especially so with fish oil. Many sources are contaminated with pollutants like mercury, and some companies treat their fish oil in such a way that it becomes rancid – if you take fish oil and there is a fishy aftertaste, it is rancid and should not be taken.
Omega 3 deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies I see – because it is rare for most people to consume adequate amounts of fatty fish and the plant based sources listed above. It is always a good idea to try to get all nutrients we need from the diet first, but if not possible, taking a fish oil or algae oil is safe with most (not all) medications and conditions – just make sure it’s a high quality one.
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