Amy Sapola

Functional and Integrative Medicine for Women

  • home
  • about
  • blog
  • listen
  • services
    • services
    • Retreat
  • contact

March 10, 2019 By Amy Sapola Leave a Comment

Omega-3’s Part 1: Sources of Omega-3’s

The benefits of omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s) are widely publicised. When I ask someone why they are taking fish oil most commonly am told that it’s for “cholesterol,” specifically triglycerides although there are a number of reasons why someone may take fish oil. Studies show the greatest benefit from supplementing with fish oil in those who do not already consume fish.

The Standard American Diet (“SAD diet”-the name says it all…) has been found to contain an unhealthy balance of omega-3 (anti-inflammatory) to omega-6 (potentially pro-inflammatory) fatty acids, something like 1:14 or even as high as 1:20. A more beneficial ratio would be 1:4 or less depending on who you ask.

I always recommend “food first” and fish is no exception. An awesome resource for determining how much fish, what type of fish, and from what source (wild caught, farmed, etc.) is the EWG Seafood Calculator. It takes into account your weight, sex, age and if you’re nursing, pregnant or considering becoming pregnant to recommend the safest fish with the highest omega-3 content for you to consume. I was blown away as a lactating female when I used this tool that many of the fish that I think of as “safe” such as salmon contained roughly 30% and sardines had roughly 50% of the weekly limit for mercury intake while nursing for someone my size.

Mercury (methylmercury) has a relatively long half life (it takes about 2.5 months to eliminate half the amount of mercury after a single exposure) and accumulates with multiple exposures (1). The key thing here is don’t over do it! Stick to the smaller fish which are high in omega-3’s and low in mercury and have 2-4 servings per week. Also, it is worth considering other toxins such as dioxins and PCB’s which can be carcinogenic.

All this talk of toxins! Yikes! Make sure that you are eliminating toxins as efficiently as possible on a regular basis through having regular bowel movements, drinking plenty of fluids and sweating (sauna and/or exercise).

The benefits from fish oil are determined primarily from studies that look at the total amount of EPA + DHA. It can be very misleading when you look at a bottle of fish oil- it may say 1000mg of fish oil on the front, but when you read the supplement facts label on the back it requires taking multiple capsules and the EPA + DHA content is much lower than 1000mg.

Krill is another potential source for omega-3’s however I have concerns about the environmental impact and sustainability of using krill so do not recommend it.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is another source of omega-3 PUFA’s that are found in flaxseed oil. ALA has to be converted in the body to the active forms of EPA then to DHA to exert the benefits of omega-3’s. Our bodies are not efficient at doing this conversion (<10-15%, those with higher estrogen may convert somewhat more efficiently). You may see flaxseed oil advertised that it contains 1000mg or more and “omega-3” on the label, but when you do the math if you have 1000mg of ALA, that’s only about 100-150mg of EPA/DHA on a good day.

I prefer sprinkling freshly ground flax (goes rancid quickly, keep refrigerated and grind fresh) on food or in smoothies for the other health benefits of flax but if you are taking flax oil for the cardiovascular benefits it would be worthwhile to consider other options.

Algae is a good source of DHA for vegetarians and vegans. Micro-algae is actually the base of the food chain and the reason why fish accumulate EPA + DHA in their fatty tissues. The only downfall with algae supplements are that they contain only 100-300 mg of DHA on average and little EPA if any.

You can also get omega-3’s from a variety of foods such as walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, grass fed animals (preferably pasture raised) and pasture raised chicken eggs (often supplemented with flax to boost omega-3’s). Animals who consume their natural diet of plants, bugs, etc. as opposed to corn have been shown to contain more omega-3’s (less omega-6’s).

In the United States there is no official recommendation for how much EPA/DHA someone should consume, although in other countries recommendations are around 300-500mg/day total. At least one study found that consuming amounts higher than this did not confer much additional benefit when it comes to cardiovascular disease and related mortality. Unless you’re being treated for a medical condition I recommend staying under 2,000mg/day of EPA/DHA due to the potential for immune suppression at higher doses. (2) (3)

If you do not consume fish it may be recommended that you consider taking a fish oil supplement. Check out “Omega-3’s Part 2: Does Your Supplement Smell Fishy?” for more information.

Filed Under: Functional Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Women's Health

Previous
Next

MORE GREAT READS

  • Monday Meditation
  • Infant Vitamin D Drops
  • Monday Meditation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A Practacal Approach to Whole Health Applying Nutrition, Functional and Integrative Medicine with Dr. Amy Sapola
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Categories

Instagram post 18117632674062547 This mornings tarot card...on the full moon 12/12 at 12:12 EDT 🌝💫✨today is the perfect day to get in tune with intuition @biddytarot #tarot #fullmoon #intuition
Instagram post 18015450856255123 Today, I'm talking with Val Joan of @Ayurveda with Val about how living a balanced life using the principles of Ayurveda can help as women move into menopause! If you're in menopause now, nearing menopause, or even just a women  interested in Ayurveda and selfcare this is an episode not to be missed! We talk about the doshas, nutrition, balancing hormones, breast care, and so much more! 
https://zurl.co/QuKm 
#menopause #ayurveda #foodasmedicine #changeoflife #premenopausal #perimenopause #womenshealth #dosha #yoga #selfcare #selfmassage
Instagram post 18084198835188462 A beautiful warm bone broth (from scratch) with shiitake mushrooms, garlic, lots of rosemary, and some kale powder (I dried from our garden) — so delicious, warm, and nourishing on a cold night ❄️⛄️#bonebroth #winter #warmsoup #shitakemushrooms #kale #nourish #homemadefood
Instagram post 18068148943173342 We had so much fun tonight celebrating @mtvalek 50th bday!!! We discovered Gigi has a love of Karaoke too 💕😂Amazed by all of the thoughtful touches by @suzyvalek 💕💕💕
Instagram post 17856849526653828 Today, I'm talking about oral health with Dr. Andrea Brockman, DDS of https://zurl.co/yqjf. Have you wondered about how to care for your mouth and teeth in a more natural way? Don't miss this episode! 
https://zurl.co/Cbyi 
#holisticdentistry #biologicaldentistry #healthymouth #holistic #naturalmedicine #itsallconnected #podcast #dentistry #nourishandshinepodcast #dds
Instagram post 17847192859767114 #familyhike up #amountain #wemadeittothetop @the_official_turtle_queen 💕💕💕
Instagram post 17854350997674832 #familytime💕 with @the_official_turtle_queen in #phoenix
Instagram post 18066195106172064 This week I am talking with Amanda Corbett, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, FAIHM about CBD!!! This is such a hot topic that I get tons of questions about! I'm so happy to have Dr. Corbett on to discuss "Everything You Need to Know About CBD." I am so thankful (since tomorrow is Thanksgiving) that I met Amanda during the @Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine - AIHM fellowship - she is an amazing women and she is an expert on Herbal and Dietary Supplements! You don't want to miss this episode! 
https://zurl.co/uSUZ 
#cbd #podcast #marijuana #THC #pharmacy #pharmacist #functionalmedicine #foodasmedicine #herbalmedicine #chronicpain #thanksgivingconversations #thansgiving2019 #supplements #herbs
Instagram post 18066392992174099 Early morning hike up Camelback then yoga @mokshayogaphx - seriously I could do this everyday 🙌💕
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Twitter

COPYRIGHT © 2019 · DR AMY SAPOLA · SAPOLA INTEGRATIVE WELLNESS, LLC.· WEB DESIGN TABITHA EMMA · TERMS & CONDITIONS · DISCLAIMER · PRIVACY POLICY

·We do not diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental or emotional condition and nothing on our website, its content or in our services is intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any illness, medical condition or mental condition. Sapola Integrative Wellness, LLC provides Wellness Coaching information and education. Our services are not medical or mental health advice.

Although Amy Sapola is a Pharmacist, licensed in the state of Minnesota, she is not acting in that capacity here. Amy Sapola is assisting you only in the capacity as a Wellness Coach, not as a licensed healthcare professional. Nothing on our website, in our Content or in our Services should be construed as healthcare or mental health advice or as a substitute for a consultation with a healthcare or mental health professional who can review and advise you on your specific situation. Anyone choosing to implement any information on our website or in our Services should obtain prior medical clearance from a licensed or registered healthcare or mental health professional to declare them sufficiently healthy, and determine that the information on our website or in our services is appropriate and useful for them. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking professional advice because of information you have read on our website, or received from us. Coaching is in no way to be construed as psychological counseling, therapy or medical advice.