Nutrition

Omega-3's

NOTE: Nutrition cannot realistically be fragmented, or divided, into its individual nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc.). A whole food is exponentially superior to the sum of its measurable nutrients. In speaking of fragmented terms such as “protein,” “carbohydrate,” and “fat,” we must always remember that real food comes in a whole form.

Omega-3's Come From Trees

The three main omega-3’s required by the body for health are:

ALA: alpha-linolenic acid (the plant-sourced or “parent” omega-3)
EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid
DHA: docosahexaenoic acid

ALA is known as the “parent omega-3” because it can be converted in the body into all the other omega-3’s. EPA and DHA are formed from conversion of ALA in the body.

We have been long fed the half-truth (or 10% truth) that omega-3’s come from fish. Fish are not the source of omega-3’s. Saying that omega-3’s come from fish is like saying food comes from the grocery store – it’s second-hand from the original source. All nutrition, including omega-3’s, comes from the earth, and we are never better off obtaining it second-hand through animals. We get our omega-3’s from plant foods (such as walnuts) just as fish get their omega-3’s from plants (algae).

When we get our omega-3’s from animal-based foods (such as fish), we bypass the original and most superior omega-3 (ALA) and get only after-conversion forms (EPA and DHA). Although EPA and DHA are used in the body, it is not as good to get them directly from the diet because the body cannot control the conversion rate. Excess EPA and DHA interfere with the action of insulin, which helps to explain why fish oil both causes and aggravates insulin “resistance” (Kasim; Soulage et al; Weaver et al). Like vitamin A and non-essential amino acids, it is always better to get our nutrients through whole plant foods and allow the body to convert or use the nutrients according to our most important needs.

Do we get enough of all the omega-3's from plants?

There is extensive research on demographics of people that are “unable” to convert ALA to EPA and DHA, implying that it is better to either supplement EPA and DHA, or obtain them directly through animal foods (fish or fish oil). But there is something really important missing here. ALA is not just a pre-conversion cofactor for EPA and DHA; ALA itself is indispensible as a powerful antioxidant for healing and protection against disease. It just may be that under certain conditions, people have greater need for ALA than for EPA or DHA, which is why their bodies retain ALA from conversion. Let’s consider a few case studies.

CASE STUDY #1: It is known that DHA is required for proper brain development. Researchers have observed that persons suffering from severe third-degree burns do not convert ALA to DHA. They conclude that hospital burn units ought to regularly supplement burn patients with DHA. This does not take into account that the body may be using the ALA to aid in the more urgent need to heal from the burn. If you were covered in severe burns, wouldn’t you be more concerned about your immediate healing than doing school? Thus, if burn units are to supplement omega-3’s, they should give patients ALA (preferably through whole plant foods, such as walnuts). Then, when the body has enough ALA to supply its immediate needs, the excess will be converted to EPA and DHA for long-term needs.

CASE STUDY #2: Researchers have observed that women of child-bearing age “more efficiently” (meaning, at higher rates) convert ALA to EPA and DHA than do men. They conclude that men should supplement EPA and DHA, or get it directly from fish. This is as fractional as the example above. The key is in the very observation: the women are of child-bearing age, in which their bodies naturally require a higher conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA to prepare for and sustain pregnancy. Men do not have the same need for EPA and DHA as do women of child-bearing age.

Before we interfere and determine the body’s needs, we would do well to consider that there is a reason the body responds as it does (see also Iron Dumping). The body manages the conversion of ALA into EPA and DHA according to the body’s most important needs. When we eat whole plant foods, particularly those rich in ALA, we need not concern ourselves about EPA or DHA. ALA provides the body with all the omega-3 fatty acids we need (Barceló-Coblijn et al).

Is there such thing as too much EPA and DHA?

Although nutrition protocols promote abundant consumption of animal-sourced omega-3’s (fish and fish oil) to “make sure” we get enough EPA and DHA, the research strongly advises otherwise. It is well established that fish oils aggravate insulin resistance and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes (Kasim). Although EPA and DHA have important actions in the body, they become a problem when we get too much of them (as when we consume them in the diet in fish and fish oil) and have to metabolize the excess (Soulage et al). It is for good reason that the body carefully manages and controls the conversion of ALA (plant-sourced omega-3) into the active in-body omega-3’s, EPA and DHA.

ALA Heals ALA You!

The benefits of ALA are extraordinary and many. Truly it is one of the most healing and protective nutrients we can take into our bodies. Here are some snippets of the whole-body health impacts of this plant-based omega-3 fatty acid:

ALA improves cardiovascular health and helps to reverse cardiovascular disease (Sala-Vila, et al; Tyndall et al; Pan et al; Fleming et al; Russo; Lenighan et al; Rodríguez-Cruz et al; Su)
ALA improves brain health and helps to reverse neurodegenerative diseases (Sala-Vila, et al; Piermartiri et al; Shashikumar et al; Crupi et al; Alam et al; Lee et al; Lee et al; Desale et al; Bourre; Rodríguez-Cruz et al; Su)
ALA improves insulin sensitivity and helps to reverse type 2 diabetes (Gomes et al; Wang et al; Canetti et al; Pauls et al; Lenighan et al; Rodríguez-Cruz et al; Su)
NOTE: Dietary sources of EPA and DHA (such as fish and fish oil) have been shown to aggravate insulin resistance and diabetes (Kasim; Soulage et al; Weaver et al)
ALA suppresses cancer development and growth (Rodríguez-Cruz et al; Su)
ALA stops body fat storage (lipogenesis) and increases breakdown of body fat (lipolysis) (Rodríguez-Cruz et al)
ALA improves skin health (Conforti et al; Solway et al)
ALA improves eye health and vision (Bourre)
ALA improves reproductive health for both men and women, including pregnancy
ALA promotes healthful neurological development of newborns (Rodríguez-Cruz et al)
NOTE: Lest we should be concerned about the conversion of ALA to DHA and EPA, researchers have confirmed that infants supplemented with ALA have significantly increased levels of DHA (Jensen et al)
ALA improves mental and emotional health, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder (Vetrivel et al; Pae et al; Yary et al; Bourre; Su)
ALA decreases inflammation (Poudel-Tandukar et al)
ALA improves autoimmune diseases (Su)
ALA even provides significant protection against chemical warfare organophosphates! (Piermartiri et al)

ALA is truly an essential fatty acid. The healing and protective benefits both immediately and for longevity are extraordinary. Perhaps the walnut looks like a brain because nature is telling us that it’s smart to eat walnuts.

…As an added bonus, omega-3’s also contribute to satiation (through brain-derived neurotropic factor, BDNF) (Vetrivel et al). Another great reason to put walnuts on your food!

RESEARCH

Barceló-Coblijn G, et al. Alpha-Linolenic Acid and Its Conversion to Longer Chain n-3 Fatty Acids: Benefits for Human Health and a Role in Maintaining Tissue n-3 Fatty Acid Levels. Progress in Lipid Research, 48(6): 355-374, Nov. 2009.

Kasim SE. Dietary Marine Fish Oils and Insulin Action in Type 2 Diabetes. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 683: 250-7, 14 Jun. 1993.

Soulage Co, et al. Skeletal Muscle Insulin Resistance is Induced by 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal, a By-product of n-3 Fatty Acid Peroxidation. Diabetologia, 61(3): 688-699, Mar. 2018.

Turner-McGrievy G. Nutrient Adequacy of Vegetarian Diets. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(10): 1450; Oct. 2010.

McDougall C, et al. Plant-Based Diets Are Not Nutritionally Deficient. [Letter] Permanente Journal, 17(4): 93, Fall 2013.

Sala-Vila A, et al. Impact of α-Linolenic Acid, the Vegetable ω-3 Fatty Acid, on Cardiovascular Disease and Cognition. Advances in Nutrition, 13(5): 1584-1602, 02 Oct. 2022.

Tyndall AM, et al. Replacing Saturated Fat with Walnuts or Vegetable Oils Improves Central Blood Pressure and Serum Lipids in Adults at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled-Feeding Trial. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(9): e011512, 07 May 2019.

Pan A, et al. α-Linolenic Acid and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 96(6): 1262-1273, Dec. 2012.

Fleming JA, et al. The Evidence for α-Linolenic Acid and Cardiovascular Disease Benefits: Comparisons with Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid. Advances in Nutrition, 5(6): 863S-876S, 14 Nov. 2014.

Russo GL. Dietary n-6 and n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: From Biochemistry to Clinical Implications in Cardiovascular Prevention. Biochemical Pharmacology, 77(6): 937-946, 15 Mar. 2009.

Shashikumar S, et al. Alpha-Linolenic Acid Suppresses Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration Induced by 6-OHDA in C. Elegans. Physiology & Behavior, 151: 563-569, 01 Nov. 2015.

Crupi R, et al. n-3 Fatty Acids: Role in Neurogenesis and Neuroplasticity. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 20(24): 2953-2963, 2013.

Alam S, et al. Alpha-Linolenic Acid Impedes Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Stress, Neuroinflammation, and Neurodegeneration in Mouse Brain. Cells, 10(9): 2274, 01 Sep. 2021.

Lee AY, et al. Protective Effects of Perilla Oil and Alpha Linolenic Acid on SH-SY5Y Neuronal Cell Death Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide. Nutrition Research and Practice, 12(2): 93-100, Apr. 2018.

Lee AY, et al. Neuroprotective Effect of Alpha-Linolenic Acid Against Aβ-Mediated Inflammatory Responses in C6 Glial Cell. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66(19): 4853-4861, 16 May 2018.

Desale SE, et al. α-Linolenic Acid Modulates Phagocytosis and Endosomal Pathways of Extracellular Tau in Microglia. Cell Adhesion and Migration, 15(1): 84-100, Dec. 2021.

Gomes PM, et al. Supplementation of α-Linolenic Acid Improves Serum Adiponectin Levels and Insulin Sensitivity in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrition, 31(6): 853-857, Jun. 2015.

Wang D, et al. [Alpha Linolenic Acid Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Patients]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi, 93(2): 132-134, 08 Jan. 2013.

Canetti L, et al. Linoleic and Alpha Linolenic Acids Ameliorate Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes in Mice. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 120(1): 34-39, Feb. 2014.

Pauls SD, et al. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of α-Linolenic Acid in M1-like Macrophages are Associated with Enhanced Production of Oxylipins from α-Linolenic and Linoleic Acid. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 57:121-129, Jul. 2018.

Lenighan YM, et al. Dietary Fat Composition: Replacement of Saturated Fatty Acids with PUFA as a Public Health Strategy, with an Emphasis on α-Linolenic Acid. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(2): 234-245, May 2019.

Conforti C, et al. Acne and Diet: A Review. International Journal of Dermatology, 61(8): 930-934, Aug. 2022.

Solway J, et al. Diet and Dermatology: The Role of a Whole-food, Plant-based Diet in Preventing and Reversing Skin Aging – A Review. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 13(5): 38-43, May 2020.

Vetrivel U, et al. Agonistic Effect of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) and its Metabolites on Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) Through Molecular Docking Simulation. Lipids in Health and Disease, 11:109, 04 Sep. 2012.

Bourre J. [Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatry]. Medecine Sciences (Paris), 21(2): 216-221, Feb. 2005.

Jensen CL, et al. Effect of Dietary Linoleic/Alpha-Linolenic Acid Ratio on Growth and Visual Function of Term Infants. The Journal of Pediatrics, 131(2): 200-209, Aug. 1997.

Rodríguez-Cruz M, et al. [Molecular Mechanisms of Action and Health Benefits of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids]. Revista de Investigación Clínica, 57(3): 457-472, May-Jun. 2005.

Poudel-Tandukar K, et al. Dietary Intakes of alpha-Linolenic and Linoleic Acids are Inversely Associated with Serum C-Reactive Protein Levels Among Japanese Men. Nutrition Research, 29(6): 363-370, Jun. 2009.

Su K. Mind-Body Interface: The Role of n-3 Fatty Acids in Psychoneuroimmunology, Somatic Presentation, and Medical Illness Comorbidity of Depression. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 17 Suppl. 1: 151-157, 2008.

Weaver KL, et al. The Content of Favorable and Unfavorable Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Found in Commonly Eaten Fish. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 108(7): 1178-1185, Jul. 2008.

Piermartiri T, et al. α-Linolenic Acid, a Neutraceutical with Pleiotropic Properties that Targets Endogenous Neuroprotective Pathways to Protect Against Organophosphate Nerve Agent-Induced Neuropathology. Molecules, 20(11): 20355-20380, 12 Nov. 2015.