What are Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids and why should I care?

Fats are made of fatty acids just as proteins are made of amino acids. Your body can make some of these fatty acids, but there are some it can't make. The fatty acids you can't make -- and need to get from food -- are called essential fatty acids. One important type of essential fatty acid is the omega 3 family. Until recently this has been balanced with Omega 6 fatty acids in the diet -- roughly 1:1. The ratio in the standard American diet is now as high as 1:50 in favor of omega 6 fatty acids.

The short version of the story is that omega 6 fatty acids contribute to heart disease, type II diabetes, and general inflammation. General inflammation has recently been recognized to be a greater risk factor for heart attack than cholesterol.

Many people have taken flax seed oil to supplement omega 3 fatty acids. I used to take flax oil and I used to recommend it to patients. Since then I have discovered that although flax seed oil does contain omega 3 fatty acids, these are short chain molecules which are not effective. There is only about a 2% conversion of the short chain to the effective long chain fatty acids.  Flax seed oil has other benefits but it is not a good source of the beneficial, long chain omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega 3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel and cod. Unfortunately much of the fish available is polluted, especially with mercury. Most of the salmon available in the stores is farm raised. Farm raised salmon are fed flax oil to raise their omega 3 levels which are said by the growers to be higher than wild fish. Unfortunately I was unable to determine if the fish can convert the short chain, ineffective, omega 3 fatty acids to the effective, long chain molecules. Probably not. In addition there is a strong suspicion that farm raised fish are subject to antibiotics and other possible pollutants.

For this reason I use and recommend Blue Ice cod liver oil. Before you react to the thought of cod liver oil let me tell you that this cod liver oil has a clean light mint flavor and is otherwise quite bland. It doesn't have the offensive taste and smell I remember well as a young child. 

Cod liver oil is high in vitamin A and D both of which are good. The only exception is for those who get lots of sun exposure. In that case I recommend the fish oil to avoid getting too much vitamin D.

Blue Ice brand gets its fish from deep Norwegian waters and they guarantee the oils do not contain mercury or other contaminants. It is the only cod liver oil that I know of that does not use soy based vitamin E as a preservative. Instead

I have found some patients with arthritis can get off nonsteroidal antiinflammatories (NSAID's like Advil, Vioxx, etc.) after several weeks on a sufficient dose of cod liver oil or fish oil. In fact if you regularly get relief from NSAID's there is a good chance fish oils will both help your symptoms and improve your overall health without any of the risks of NSAID's. This is because the omega 3 fatty acids tend to balance the anti-inflammatory side of the fatty acid metabolism, rather than suppressing the pro-inflammatory side.

These oils are available as both liquid and gel capsules. The problem with gel capsules is that the recommended dose is 1/2 teaspoon per 50 lbs. of body weight. So a 150 lb. person would require 1 1/2 teaspoons or 2400 mg. It would take 7 capsules to make the same amount. That's quite a few capsules for some people.

Blue Ice brand is more concentrated than many other brands so the recommended dose is only 1/2 teaspoon for most people.

Many patients mix the cod liver oil in yogurt, in salad dressing or in a blender drink -- it really does have a pleasant taste! As with most food supplements (as opposed to herbs) fish oils are better absorbed with food and are less likely to cause digestive upset. Some people have difficulty digesting fats and may need enzyme support to comfortably digest and fully utilize essential fatty acids. If this is the case they probably have an even greater need for omega 3 supplementation.

There are no known drug or nutrient interactions with omega 3 fatty acids, other than that people on blood thinners may need to adjust their medications. Actually this is an advantage and fish oils prevent heart disease and stroke.

Other sources of Omega 3 Fatty acids are grass fed animals and DHA supplemented eggs, which are available at most local groceries, and wild game.

Blue Ice cod liver oil are available through the clinic as a pleasant tasting liquid and in capsules.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Manlove, unless otherwise noted. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Manlove. Dr. Manlove encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

 These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products discussed in these articles are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using any product.