Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction?
Created on: 01/03/10 07:06 PM Views: 3133 Replies: 15
Mariberry Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297	Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 7:06 PM I was told by "an expert" that the only good source of Omega 3 fatty acids is salmon or salmon oil capsules. He states that the Omega 3 found in flax seed etc is inferior. Comments? All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance"
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VeganRecipeGuy Joined: 01/03/10 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 131	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 7:29 PM Omega-3's from flax take extra work on the part of the body to use the same way it would from salmon, however our bodies are made to DO that extra work. For most of us in good health, plant derived omega-3's are nutritionally functional. www
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 8:14 PM Mariberry wrote: I was told by "an expert" that the only good source of Omega 3 fatty acids is salmon or salmon oil capsules. He states that the Omega 3 found in flax seed etc is inferior. Comments? See if these are helpful as well: http://www.nutritionmd.org/nutrition_tips/nutrition_tips_understand_foods/fattyacids_omega3.html http://www.pcrm.org/health/PDFs/pv_essential_fatty_acids.pdf There is always research on omega-3s being published. You can select some recent ones from this list: http://pcrm.org/news/bmn09.html. You can click around on other summaries from past years by selecting the year at the bottom of the page. I hope this helps! Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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Donna22 Joined: 01/03/10 Posts: 5	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 8:48 PM As a breast cancer survivor, my doctor does not want me to take flaxseed. So, I am still searching for an adequate source of 3 grams of Omega 3's to eat or take each day. I am unaware of how I can get anywhere near that amount with food, unless I eat way too many calories. I hope you have some suggestions!
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 9:06 PM Donna22 wrote: As a breast cancer survivor, my doctor does not want me to take flaxseed. So, I am still searching for an adequate source of 3 grams of Omega 3's to eat or take each day. I am unaware of how I can get anywhere near that amount with food, unless I eat way too many calories. I hope you have some suggestions! While I can not comment on anyone's specific medical situation, I am a little perplexed by this. Your doctor does not want you to consume flax seed but she/he wants you to get extra omega-3s? Well, in general, omega-3s exist in plant-foods in the perfect ratio to benefit your health. The problem is ALL excess fats in the diet tend to block omega-3s from doing their job. The answer is not to take in more omega-3s but rather scale down on fats overall. That will "free up" the small amounts of omega-3s you naturally consume (you only need 1.1 grams and 1.6 grams per day, women and men respectively) to impart their anti-inflammatory benefits. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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Mariberry Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 9:27 PM Thanks for the links, Susan I do have flaxseed oil in my fridge but also toasted flaxseeds, which I take it are a source of fiber but not necessarily Omega-3 due to them being whole and not ground. Will have to get out that coffee bean grinder...! Cheers! P.S. I'm loving this new program...have some winter veggies in the oven as we "speak", roasting with olive oil and a ground pepper medley. YUM!!! All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance"
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Donna22 Joined: 01/03/10 Posts: 5	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 10:23 PM Thank you so much for your response. My oncologist did not suggest extra Omega 3's; that number is the number I had read in recent literature. Your comment about extra fat is something I will really have to address because I feel like I have increased my fat intake from nuts and seeds and cheese (I have been following a vegetarian diet, not vegan) after I quit eating any kind of meat. I had never read that other fats interfere with Omega 3 production.
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rb Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 85	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Monday, January 4, 2010 at 1:37 AM I was told by someone who has been in the vegan health field for years to use hemp oil. I keep a bottle in my fridge and put a squirt into my oatmeal, veggie chili, and soups. You can also take it with a spoon. It doesn't taste bad at all.
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Mariberry Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Monday, January 4, 2010 at 9:45 AM [quote] I also add "hemp hearts"(shelled hemp seeds) to my oatmeal, salads...anything you may want a little extra crunch. They are a really delicious addition to so many dishes. All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance"
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Donna22 Joined: 01/03/10 Posts: 5	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 2:06 PM I used hemp for a while but then I read that hemp and other plant sources, like chia seeds, only contain ALA omega 3s and that is not the important element of Omega 3's.
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VeganRecipeGuy Joined: 01/03/10 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 131	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 2:16 PM A healthy body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA. This is important as 8% of your brain is made up of these two important omega-3's. That's what I meant by our bodies needing to do more work to use plant derived omega-3's. Still, our bodies are made to do that work. For most of us it shouldn't be a problem. www
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Donna22 Joined: 01/03/10 Posts: 5	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 2:22 PM So do you have an opinion about Chia seeds or oil, Hemp powder or oil or other sources? Can you refer me to any literature? I really appreciate this, as I have struggled with this issue for some time since I can't do flax.
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shanna Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 2:30 PM i meant to ask this before: why is your doctor recommending you avoid flax seeds? my mom is a breast cancer survivor--just last may. (i convinced her to go at least mostly vegan, with the help of PCRM's Treating and Preventing Cancer book. her recovery was amazingly fast and she feels really great.) but nothing in anything i have read, or anything her doctors have said to her, cautions against flaxseed. a google search turned up several sources saying the opposite--that flaxseed has been shown to be beneficial. i would really like to read more about this. if you can point, please do! i was also very intrigued by what susan said above about not needing to add additional omega 3s, but to limit omega 6s and other fats. (thank you, susan.) i know the ratio of 3s/6s is supposed to be more important. i take a vegan DHA (algae-derived) and eat flaxseeds and walnuts in small amounts and don't worry about it. but maybe i don't even need the DHA? hmm.
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VeganRecipeGuy Joined: 01/03/10 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 131	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 2:44 PM Donna22 I think that hemp oil is a very viable solution. It is one of the most nutritionally complete oils. I would make sure I used it with fiber like in a hot oat-bran cereal for example, and also make sure that you eat some sulphur containing food so you can fully use/convert the oil. Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower come to mind. http://www.goodwebsite.co.uk/kingsreport.pdf Also I use ground chia seeds all the time in my cooking. They make a gel when soaked in water that is a great binder in baked goods. www
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Donna22 Joined: 01/03/10 Posts: 5	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 2:57 PM Thanks to everyone for addressing this issue. My oncologist is very involved in breast cancer research and she said there was one study (which she did not give me reference to) which showed an estrogenic effect from flaxseed. She did not think this was worth the risk for me. I will ask her for more information. She told me this last year, and I haven't asked for an update.
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shanna Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287	RE: Omega 3s - Fact or Fiction? Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 3:01 PM Thank you. I'd love to share the info with my mom, if you get it--especially since I encourage her to use the stuff. Hope you're recovering or well on your way!
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