Omega 3 and 6 – Eskimos, Fish Oil, and Blubber (Omega-3)
There was a report by two Danish researchers, Bang and Dyerberg, who went there and confirmed a very low incidence of heart disease/attacks. It was assumed that because the Eskimos ate a lot of seal and blubber, which are high is Omega-3 fish fat thus Omega 3 was a preventive substance to take to avoid cardiac disease. Sounds very promising however…..
However, once we go fishing for the answer we find that it isn’t true. The truth is they never examined the cardiovascular status of the Eskimo and used a non-proven theory. Never the less, this concept remains alive even though multiple studies reveal Eskimos have significant CAHD and die early from C-V disease/heart attacks; in fact Eskimo actually have twice the fatal stroke rate. Frozen Eskimo mummies have atherosclerosis so the Danish theory, which has been proven totally wrong has proved to be a pot of gold for the Omega 3 pill pushers. In truth the Eskimo diet has been proven, many time over, as being ‘dangerous to health’.
Here’s the skinny on “Fatty Acids”, Omega-3,& 6
What is a ‘Fatty Acid’? For a chemist it is a long hydrocarbon chain capped by a carbonyl group (COOH) but for most of us, it’s important to know that Fatty Acids can be ‘Saturated FA’ or ‘Unsaturated FA’. A simple way, which most chemists would scoff at, is that Fatty Acids are chains of carbon and hydrogen molecules linked together if various forms. The names of Fatty Acids are determined by the length of their chains of molecules of carbon and hydrogen; for example Buterate is a short chain FA
We need FA because they play a critical role in the components of good health; they provide energy, make us cell membranes, absorb certain vitamins and produce important hormones. The problems is we need very little FA while the food industry entices us with far excessive amounts leading us to disease so it is essential we know which FA are essential. Essential Fatty Acids are just two; 1. Omega -3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) which is converted to DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosaentaenoic acid) and 2. Omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid). These are the only two ‘fatty acids’ that the body needs and we need to obtain them from outside sources which makes the ‘Essential’.m
These FA are essential because they have various roles within our body that allows us to stay healthy. Some of the important roles are preventing heart disease, reduce blood pressure, and reducing total cholesterol and reducing the bad LDL cholesterol. Some studies have shown Omega 3 to have a decreased risk of cognitive decline. Though studies remain inconclusive we can summarize the benefits to show there is a benefit in Inflammation, Depression, Heart Disease, and mental Cognition.
