1 BASIC IDEAS

BASIC IDEAS SUMMARY

(To start, don’t worry about the fancy chemical names; just remember the abbreviations. This is a very brief summary of a complex topic.)
  • There is a theory that the pre-frontal cortex of the human brain (the bit that enables us to make complex decisions) was developed over the millennia as a result of pre-humans eating shell fish that contained algae. The algae consisted of what we now know as essential fatty acids. (They’re essential because our body can’t make them by combining molecules as it does with most but not all other nutrients.) These Omega-3 chemicals range from simple molecules such as Alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA) and Linoleic acid (LA) to highly complex ones such as Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
  • As you would expect, these nutrients have very specific roles to play in our body. The DHA Omega-3 helps our brain cells remain flexible and give us our reasoning ability while EPA helps in balancing how we use our other nutritional intake.
  • In previous centuries, humans were supplied with these important brain and body nutrients by eating fish and oils extracted from seeds such as flax, sunflower and maize.
  • After World War II, manufacturing methods changed to cope with increasing urbanisation and the resulting demand for food that looked and tasted good.. However, heat and chemical processes, while keeping the seed oil’s constituency, destroyed any heat-sensitive Omega-3 molecules. The food industry has thus ensured that our supermarket shelves have oils that look attractive and which don’t go bad. They are (usually?) reasonably priced. But, unfortunately, they do not contain any Omega-3.
  • The production changes mentioned have meant that each generation of people in the Western World, has had less and less of these Omega-3 nutrients in their diet. It seems that this need has been passed on to the next generation who then have an increased need for Omega-3 nutrients especially for the complex molecules DHA and EPA.
  • Over the generations we seem to have an unexplained increase in diseases which were not so common a century ago. These include arthritis, heart attacks, cancer and diabetes. One of these “new diseases” is ADHD where more and more children are being diagnosed. ADHD is said to be a result of a defect of the serotonin/dopamine mechanism which then affects brain performance.
  • Studies have shown that those diagnosed with ADHD have less DHA in their brains than those not diagnosed. Studies have also shown that ADHDers can need four to six times as much fish oil to supply these nutrients as their “normal” friends. It also seems that ADHDers lack the capacity to convert the simple Omega-3s to the more complex molecules that they need. This means that just having extra flax seed oil with its simple Omega-3 oils does not help very much. The solution to this problem for the ADHDer is to use fish oil where the fish has made the conversions for you.
  • Various products are now available which incorporate fish oil in capsules, bottles and some in sachets. As an imported product these capsules have been rather expensive for the ADHD family and the price, perhaps, has restricted the daily dose. Some researchers maintain that this restricted intake has been too low to show a significant difference. Other studies have shown that there is a small but significant difference at the lower doses.
  • Although Omega-3 oils are important but undersupplied in our normal diet, they require other nutrients, vitamins and minerals to help them work effectively. This is another topic for another time but remember that we are complex arrangements and all things need to work together. So don’t look upon your Omega-3 oil intake as a silver bullet that fixes everything in one shot. Think of it rather as a family member, who has been missing for a long time (for some, even for generations) and is now able to take their rightful place in the family home. And not only are they welcomed by the rest of the family but they are immediately put to productive work in the family business.
  • Dr Udo Erasmus, one of the doyens of Oils and Fats on a visit to Cape Town, told us that protein in the diet assists the metabolism of the fatty acid chain while carbohydrates hamper it. He also acknowledged that 5 – 10% of people have difficulty producing the more complex Omega-3s from the basic Flax seed oil. (A deficiency in the delta-6-dsaturase enzyme to convert the simple atoms of the O-3 Linolenic acid to the more complex DHA needed by the brain. From other readings these would be your ADD and ADHDers who need the marine oils in addition to the basic oils.
  • Dr Erasmus says that he has found in general that we need a tablespoon (15ml) of his oil (Udo’s Choice) for every 50lbs (22.7kg) body weight. So if you weigh 100kg you should be having about four tablespoons a day.
  • In South Africa we have fairly easy access to cold-pressed Flaxseed oil, stocked by various health food retail outlets:
  • There is quite a difference in the price of flax oils and you will need to make the choices depending on where you have to buy it. (As a last resort you can grind your own Flax seeds to extract the oil, which we have done. It’s time consuming so we think it is better to leave it to the experts.)
  • Note: Olive oil contains about 10% Omega-6, 3% Omega -3 and 75% Oleic acid (Omega-9). Olive oil has additional nutrients which make it a useful addition to Flax oil to balance the large proportion Omega-3 in Flax oil.
What is the ideal balance
Dr Udo Erasmus has this to say about the balance of the nutrients in a talk published by his South African Agents
Some researchers suggest that the perfect ratio is one Omega 3 for every four Omega 6. But they base these figures on enzyme studies in tissue culture. Some marketers suggest that the traditional Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio was 1:1. This is untrue. The Inuit ratio was 2.5:1, and this did not produce Omega 6 deficiency symptoms. Mediterranean diets are about 1:6 without producing Omega 3 deficiency. The brain of both traditions contains a ratio of 1 : 1, indicating that the brain takes what it needs from what the body gets.
In practice, we find that oils richer in Omega 3 (a 2:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6) provide the best health support and improvement. Flax oil is too rich in Omega 3s for the long term, and can lead to Omega 6 deficiency, because Omega 3 and Omega 6 EFAs compete for enzyme space in our cells. Udo, himself, experienced dry eyes, skipped heartbeats and fragile, thin skin. He received feedback from others who, misled by marketers proclaimed flax oil as the best source of both essential fatty acids, suffered similar problems. Flax is the richest source of Omega 3s but a poor source of Omega 6s. No traditional diet has flax's high ratio of 4:1 (Omega 3 to Omega 6).” [End of Erasmus quote.]

BUT. BUT. All the above comments omit to mention that we don’t just imbibe flaxseed oil or Udo’s choice oil.. We have an abundant intake of Omega-6 from other sources such as Canola oil, sunflower oil and egg yolks and baked products. When this is taken into account, you need much more Omega-3 to balance the Omega-6 Arachidonic acid.
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