Seeds vs Fish

Currently in the UK the words “Omega 3” are often associated with fish. Everywhere you look you see slogans encouraging you to “get more Omega 3 EFAs from fish and fish oils”. This recommendation seems harmless enough, but on closer inspection leaves some questions unanswered.

The first is the wording – “Omega 3 EFAs”. EFA stands for essential fatty acid, of which there are two – Alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and Linolenic acid (LA). They are not found in appreciable quanities in fish oils, however, fish and fish oils are excellent sources of the non-essential Omega 3 fatty acids Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Both EPA and DHA can be made in the body as required from ALA. ALA and LA cannot be made by the body so are termed Essential - they must be taken in through our diet.

The second question is why this recommendation? Does it mean that fish is the preferred way to get your Omega’s? No, it’s not. For starters, fish live their life in the sea, alongside all the industrial pollutants that man decides to dump there. As most toxins are fat soluble, they find their way into fish and fish oils as a matter of preference. Organic seed oils are not exposed to the same high levels of toxins, and so pose no threat by comparison.

Secondly, oily fish mainly provide the Omega 3 derivative fatty acids DHA and EPA and is not a good source for Omega 6 EFAs or their derivatives, so you’re left with only one half of the story.

As you can see in our Foundation Fats page - supplementation alone is not sufficient for optimum health - we all need a strong foundation before adding supplements.

Though fish oils can be of benefit it is important for every cell, tissue and gland that your body gets enough ALA and LA as a foundation for optimum health.

 

To compound this, what is an oily fish?

Will tuna, haddock, cod or plaice do the trick? Unfortunately not. There isn’t a great following of oily fish consumption in the UK, and recommendations to eat more often leave the public consuming non oily fish, which are not good sources of fats.

A final thought on fish oils is what happens when they are processed. EPA and DHA are roughly five times easier to damage with heat, light and oxygen than ALA, the delicate Omega 3 EFA. Heat, light and oxygen can all be present in many fish oil processing techniques before it reaches the final consumer. With Udo's Oil from seeds we take the utmost care to preserve the quality of the oils by cold pressing them in the absence of heat, light and oxygen, then bottling them in nitrogen flushed amber glass. This is what gives us such a superior blend. Fish oils, once they are extracted from the fish are subjected to steam distillation and deodorising techniques at high temperatures and pressures, leaving them prone to damage.

If fish oil is damaged through the extraction, distillation and deodorising techniques then it will not have the beneficial effects claimed.

A thriving industry built on the back of the cod liver oil industry has left a nation mis-informed over their Omega 3 choice.

For more information on Seed vs Fish oils, visit www.vegetarian.org.uk and read the following:

Fishing for Facts
Why public health strategy should promote plant oils in preference to fish oils
A scientific report by Laura Scott, MSc Nutrition, VVF Senior Nutritionist.

Alternatively, read teh online version of Go Fish Free For Life by clicking the image below: