3 ms·

Not at all. Flax has alpha linoleic acid which needs conversion dependent on specific genetics, and is generally low when not outright insufficient (for some co

Not at all. Flax has alpha linoleic acid which needs conversion dependent on specific genetics, and is generally low when not outright insufficient (for some common genetics). Walnuts are full of omega-6 too and as pointed out elsewhere here it's also the o6:o3 ratio that matters.

dundarious 4y ago
They contain better ratios. I don’t think there are any foods with exclusively 3 or exclusively 6. I’m skeptical about the genetic component of your comment, because genetic factors are often touted inappropriately in this domain, but if you reply with information, I’ll gladly read it. Fish oil has been shown in meta analyses to be ineffective at improving the outcomes people care about when they talk about the ratio: ischemic heart disease, etc. In fact, the original “science” promoting fish oil was based on extremely flawed research on Inuit populations — populations who actually have high rates of fat buildup in arteries, heart disease, etc. For many, contact with the Standard American Diet actually improved their diet in that regard (quite a rarity!).
- lambdaba 4y ago
  I learned a lot here, but I'm not able to restitute it accurately now: [Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f-CFQxaUY4&t=3438s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f-CFQxaUY4&t=3438s). From this and other sources, I can summarize an answer as this: omega-3s in large enough doses, doses rarely used in studies, and especially EPA, is extremely good at reducing inflammation (see "resolvins" and EPA), is a good natural blood thinner and improves blood lipids. The doctor interviewed above thinks that the reduction of inflammation is the main benefit. This finding stuck with me: smokers with a good level of omega-3s had the same risk of death in a 10 year period than non-smokers with low omega-3s. Re: ratios and food sources; of course there are. Seafood often has almost exclusively omega-3s as far as I'm aware, though I'm sure this doesn't apply to farm-raised salmon, for instance. Re: conversion rate from ALA, I couldn't find good references initially, but I've found someone citing a "0.5-20%" range for conversion of ALA to EPA/DHA (and I think the conversion to DHA is even lower, or there was some additional caveat). So that's the point, there is a wide variance.

dundarious 4y ago

They contain better ratios. I don’t think there are any foods with exclusively 3 or exclusively 6. I’m skeptical about the genetic component of your comment, because genetic factors are often touted inappropriately in this domain, but if you reply with information, I’ll gladly read it. Fish oil has been shown in meta analyses to be ineffective at improving the outcomes people care about when they talk about the ratio: ischemic heart disease, etc. In fact, the original “science” promoting fish oil was based on extremely flawed research on Inuit populations — populations who actually have high rates of fat buildup in arteries, heart disease, etc. For many, contact with the Standard American Diet actually improved their diet in that regard (quite a rarity!).

lambdaba 4y ago
I learned a lot here, but I'm not able to restitute it accurately now: [Dr. Bill Harris on the Omega-3 Index: Increasing Omega-3 to Promote Longevity & Transform Health ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f-CFQxaUY4&t=3438s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f-CFQxaUY4&t=3438s). From this and other sources, I can summarize an answer as this: omega-3s in large enough doses, doses rarely used in studies, and especially EPA, is extremely good at reducing inflammation (see "resolvins" and EPA), is a good natural blood thinner and improves blood lipids. The doctor interviewed above thinks that the reduction of inflammation is the main benefit. This finding stuck with me: smokers with a good level of omega-3s had the same risk of death in a 10 year period than non-smokers with low omega-3s. Re: ratios and food sources; of course there are. Seafood often has almost exclusively omega-3s as far as I'm aware, though I'm sure this doesn't apply to farm-raised salmon, for instance. Re: conversion rate from ALA, I couldn't find good references initially, but I've found someone citing a "0.5-20%" range for conversion of ALA to EPA/DHA (and I think the conversion to DHA is even lower, or there was some additional caveat). So that's the point, there is a wide variance.