T-Men, here are some responses to the numerous questions I’ve received on this forum as well as via email:
- What’s up with the omega 3 eggs?
-Omega 3 eggs are found in many grocery stores and are the product of feeding hens a flax oil rich diet. The eggs therefore have a much
higher omega 3 content. Here is a comparison (the first # is the omega 3 egg while the second number is the regular egg):
Total Fatty Acids: 4.8 g vs 5.2 g;
Omega-6: 0.9 g vs 1.0 g;
Omega-3: 0.4 g vs 0.1 g;
Monounsaturated: 2.0 g vs 2.2 g;
Saturated: 1.5 g vs 1.6 g;
Cholesterol: 174 mg vs 183 mg
- Flax oils are high in ALA(alpha linolenic acid) which is the “parent” omega 3. Here is a picture of the fats in flax oils:
% of total fatty acids
Saturated fatty acids:9%;
Monounsaturated:18%;
Omega-3 fatty acids:57%;
Omega-6 fatty acids:16%;
Quite a good picture indeed, but…
- Although Flax is high in the omega 3 ALA, this is ultimately metabolized to the more potent DHA and EPA. But only about 5-15% of ALA eventually becomes DHA and EPA so why not just take DHA and EPA? Also a high omega 6 diet decreases the conversion of ALA to DHA and
EPA. Salmon, trout, and other fatty marine fish have high DHA and EPA content. EPA and DHA can even be taken alone in supplemental
form.
4) Here is a list of the fatty acids that predominate in various food sources:
Family Name;Common Name;Source
omega-9 monos; Oleic acid; canola, olive, and peanut oils, animal products, avocado
omega-6; Linoleic acid; corn, safflower, soybean, cottonseed,and sunflower oils
omega-6; Arachidonic acid; animal products
omega-3; Alpha-linolenic acid; canola and soybean oils, some nuts, flaxseed
omega-3;Eicosapentaenoic acid; fish
omega-3; Docosahexainoic acid; fish
5) There CAN indeed be situations of fatty acid imbalance. If you eat no fats and just start madly consuming flax or fish oils, yes you will create an imbalance of omega 3 fatty acids. Most people (bodybuilders included) that eat a varied diet from animal products (dairy, regular eggs, beef, chicken, turkey, etc.) will be eating alot of 6's and not many 3's. In this case, supplementing 3's (mostly fish or fish and flax) is the way to go. But if you eat no fat ( a mistake ), perhaps a fat blend including monos (omega 9 monounsaturates), omega 3's in high proportion, and omega 6's in lower proportion will be a smart choice.
6) As usual, there is no carbon copy, cookie-cutter approach to fat consumption. You have to evaluate your own diet and then start to choose fat supplementation based on that. If you want some help with this I can be reached for consultation at JMBMUSCLE@hotmail.com