Flax Seed Oil & Omega 3
Flax seed oil omega 3 fact # 1
Flax seed oil is a rich source of omega 3 Alpha-Linolenic Acid, and is therefore often marketed as “flax seed oil omega 3” or under similar names that allude to the high omega 3 level.
omega 3 & Flax seed oil fact # 2
Two types of fatty oils have been showed to decrease the risk of coronary hearth disease: EPA and DHA. In the United States, manufacturers of products that contain these beneficial oils are allowed to place a certain FDA approved informational text on their products.
This text helps consumers to find products with beneficial fatty acids by informing them about how research indicates that consumption of EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids may decrease the risk of developing coronary heart disease. The link between EPA and DHA rich food types, such as flax seed oil omega 3, and a reduced risk for coronary hear disease has been formally recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since September 2004.
Flax seed oil omega 3 fact # 3
Flax seed oil omega 3 is not the only known source of EPA and DHA. You can get plenty of EPA and DHA by frequently eating significant amounts of oily fish, fish oil or seal oil. Flax seed oil omega 3 is however very popular, since it is one of very few alternatives available for people that are allergic to fish, or that wish to refrain from consuming animals. Flax seed oil omega 3 is also a good alternative if you are concerned about the potentially high levels of heavy metals, e.g. mercury, in certain fish types. In addition to flax seed omega 3, you can also obtain omega 3 from certain types of algae and hemp.
Flax seed omega 3 oil fact # 4
Flax seed oil omega 3 does not only contain omega 3; it contains omega 6 as well. The amount of omega 6 is however much lower than the amount of omega 3, which is a good thing from a health perspective since the typical modern diet tend to provide us with very high amounts of omega 6 and low levels of omega 3. Research have indicated that keeping the ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 at an optimal level is very important for the human health, but more studies are necessary before we can fully understand how the ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 in our diet affects us. Currently, a lot of us consume 20 times more omega 6 than omega 3. From an evolutionary perspective, this ratio is very unusual since our ancestors consumed a lot of nuts and seeds that provided them with plenty of omega 3. Flax seed oil omega 3 is an easy way of boasting our omega 3 intake without simultaneously ingesting a lot of omega 6.
Omega 3 flax seed oil fact # 5
100 grams of flax seed oil omega 3 contains 57.0 g of Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega 3) and
16.0 grams of Linoleic Acid (Omega 6). This means that when you pour 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of flax seed omega oil over your cereals or blend it into your smoothie, you will get 7.98 grams of Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega 3) and 2.24 grams of Linoleic Acid (Omega 6).
Omega 3 flax seed oil fact # 6
Keep in mind that flax seed oil omega 3 is very rich in calories since flax oil omega 3 consists of 100% fat. 100 grams of flax seed oil omega 3 contains 900 kcal, and 1 tablespoon (14 grams) a day will add around 126 kcal to your daily calorie intake. |