As of: January 17, 2024 10:00 a.m
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish, algae or nuts and seeds are said to have almost miraculous effects on health. Studies underline their benefits, but also show dangers.
Salmon, herring, mackerel and anchovies in particular, but also linseed, walnuts, hemp and certain oils are known for their high content of the so-called omega-3 fatty acids. Lately you’ve been hearing about so-called “algae oils” or “omega-3 oils”. What’s it? And what is the so-called omega balance all about?
Effects of omega-3 fatty acids in the body
In fact, omega-3 fatty acids are of great importance for human metabolism. They are the building blocks of our cell membranes and keep the cell shells supple. How well our nerve cells work depends on the proportion of healthy fatty acids in the cell membranes. Omega-3 fatty acids are particularly important for the child’s brain development during pregnancy and can apparently help prevent Alzheimer’s. They are also required for the production of various tissue hormones (the body’s own messenger substances). Omega-3 fatty acids play a role in blood pressure regulation and kidney function, and they also have an anticoagulant effect. Studies have also shown that omega-3 fatty acids strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammatory processes. Inflammation plays a role in many diseases – including arteriosclerosis and the resulting cardiovascular diseases.
ALA, DHA, EPA: Vital building blocks in the organism
Omega-3 are among the so-called polyunsaturated fatty acids. Three of them are particularly important for the human body:
Firstly, the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It is essential. This means that our body cannot produce this fatty acid itself and therefore relies on us consuming it through food. Alpha-linolenic acid is contained in plant foods, particularly rich in linseed and linseed oil, as well as in walnuts and walnut oil, hemp and hemp oil as well as in rapeseed oil. On the other hand, the two particularly metabolically active omega-3 fatty acids Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Our body can produce them itself from ALA (i.e. the plant omega-3 fatty acid), but only in very small quantities. In addition, the conversion is blocked by high omega-6 concentrations. EPA and DHA are particularly abundant in fatty cold-water sea fish: salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovy. In addition, EPA and DHA are also found in higher concentrations in tiny crustaceans from cold waters (krill) and certain microalgae (e.g. Spirulina, Chlorella or Schizochytrium algae). In addition to fish oil, these are used to produce nutritional supplements containing omega-3.
Treat sensitive omega-3 plant oils correctly
Flaxseeds and linseed oil contain a particularly high amount of ALA.
The main plant source of omega-3 fatty acids is linseed oil. A hundred years ago it was almost the only oil in Germany. Then the flax plant, also known as flax (supplier of linen), was almost forgotten for a long time. The seeds of flax are used, among other things, to make cooking oil. Linseed oil has a slightly nutty taste and goes well with salads or quark with jacket potatoes. Cream cheese gets a special flavor from the oil.
Due to its particularly high content of the valuable omega-3 fatty acid ALA (50 to 60 percent), linseed oil is very sensitive to light and easily goes rancid. When purchasing, you should pay attention to high-quality production – the criteria: organic, cold or pressed with the exclusion of light, heat, oxygen, for example using the “Omega-safe” or “Oxyguard” process. The oil should definitely be stored in a dark and airtight place, used fresh and used within three weeks after opening, otherwise the positive health effects will be lost. Important: You should never heat linseed oil.
Hemp oil contains around 17 percent of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA, walnut oil and high-quality rapeseed oil contain around ten percent. These oils should therefore only be heated gently and not used for frying.
Farmed salmon: Higher proportion of Omega-6
Fatty fish like salmon contain large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids.
Salmon is particularly popular among fish rich in omega-3. Today it mainly comes from large breeding farms. There the predatory fish receives more plant-based food, which has a higher proportion of omega-6 than its natural animal food. There is a fear that this will worsen the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in salmon. However, random samples show that the ratio can still be favorable even for farmed salmon.
The “omega balance” is extremely important
In order for omega-3 fatty acids to work well in the body, our diet must not contain too many omega-6 fatty acids. The omega-6 fatty acids are found, for example, in sunflower or safflower oil and in processed foods. Why is Omega balance so important? Because our metabolism processes omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids using the same enzyme. If all enzymes are “occupied” with omega-6 fatty acids, the body cannot absorb omega-3. Today, our diet contains, on average, 10 to 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids. The ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 should actually be between 1:1 and 5:1.
Blood test determines the Omega index
Therefore, the decisive factor for an adequate supply of omega-3 fatty acids is not only how much fish or linseed oil you eat, but also the “overall balance” of the fats consumed. The actual metabolism can vary from person to person. A special blood test was developed to determine how much EPA and DHA actually reach the blood. He takes advantage of the fact that fatty acids attach to red blood cells and can be measured there. A so-called Omega-3 index of 8 to 11 percent is considered optimal. However, determining this laboratory value is not routine and is not paid for by health insurance companies.
Omega-3 capsules from the pharmacy and dietary supplements
Due to the numerous health-promoting effects of omega-3 fatty acids, they are now successfully sold as dietary supplements. While prescription medications from the pharmacy consistently contain 460 mg of EPA and 380 mg of DHA in 1,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, the amounts in over-the-counter dietary supplements vary considerably. The consumer advice center points out that manufacturers of dietary supplements only have to state the total content of omega-3 fatty acids and not how much ALA, EPA or DHA is contained individually.
Further information
Dietary supplements can lead to an overdose of vitamins and minerals – with dangerous consequences. more
Foods with added Omega-3
The food industry has discovered omega-3 fatty acids as a marketing factor and is now adding algae extracts (EPA/DHA) to many foods, from soy milk to kitchen oils (“omega-3 oil”) to the breading of fish fingers. This increases the price of such products, but it does not turn an unhealthy food into a healthy one. “Omega oils” are on sale, which consist mainly of cheap sunflower oil, which means they provide a lot of Omega-6 – and estimating the dosage of the added EPA/DHA is often difficult.
Algae oil as a dietary supplement
Only a few foods contain omega-3 fatty acids.
So-called algae oils are relatively new on the market. Behind this are usually mixtures of different cooking oils (such as linseed, olive or MCT oil) with very high doses of EPA and DHA additives from microalgae. You can also buy algae oil in capsule form. The oil is extracted from microalgae – not the large algae used for sushi or other Japanese specialties. Algae oil is virtually iodine-free. The microalgae grow in special breeding facilities, so-called aquacultures, in nutrient solutions. The omega-3-rich oil is extracted from the algae biomass using complex processes. Algae oil is a purely plant-based alternative for people who do not want to eat fish or fish oil.
Side effects of omega-3 supplements
As with everything, the following applies to omega-3 fatty acids: Don’t do too much of a good thing – where there are effects, there are also side effects. In a statement in 2009, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommended a maximum amount of an average of 1.5 grams of EPA/DHA per day for healthy consumers. In a statement from 2012, the European food safety authority EFSA, however, considered the intake of up to 5 grams of EPA and DHA (in combination) to be harmless for adults. This assessment does not apply to people with previous illnesses.
Omega-3 fatty acids can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation
A US study, the Framingham Heart Study, showed that people with high levels of omega-3 in their blood have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. In 2021, however, a large meta-analysis showed that more than one gram of omega-3 supplementation of marine origin (such as algae oil or fish oil capsules) can apparently lead to cardiac arrhythmias: In people with existing or impending heart disease, taking omega-3 supplements can Preparations therefore increase the risk of atrial fibrillation.
Discuss daily requirements and dosage with your doctor
Anyone who takes omega-3 in increased doses as a dietary supplement can have an increased tendency to bleed, for example through nosebleeds. This applies even more to people who are already taking medication to inhibit blood clotting. In any case, it makes sense to speak to your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing dietary supplements. Last but not least, you can also significantly improve your omega balance by putting fewer omega-6 fatty acids in your diet (e.g. less sunflower oil, safflower oil, finished products) and instead including more plant-based omega-3 sources such as nuts and linseed oil – and occasionally a good piece of fish.
Experts on the topic
Pharmacologist Institute of Nutritional Medicine
University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck Campus
Ratzeburger Allee 160
23538 Lübeck
www.ernaehrungsmedizin.blog
Head of the Department of Cardiology/Internal Medicine
Frahmsallee 1-7
23714 Bad Malente
www.muehlenbergklinik-holsteinische-schweiz.de
Clinic for Internal Medicine I with a focus on gastroenterology, hepatology, pulmonology, internal intensive care medicine, endocrinology, infectiology, rheumatology, nutritional and aging medicine
Düsternbrooker Weg 17
24103 How
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Visit | 01/16/2024 | 8:15 p.m