What's an Omega-3 Fatty Acid?

The omega-3 fatty acid can be found in concentrated fish oil, as well as in other foods. However, I think that discussions of essential fatty acids and fish oil get confusing, so I want to breakdown this essential fatty acid and other nutritional sources for you here.

There are a total of six omega-3 fatty acids, and three (top 3 listed) of these are essential nutritionally. Nutritional research is focused heavily on ALA, DHA and EPA for their health benefits. In general we hear about flax oil for ALA and fish oil for DHA and EPA.

1. Alpha Linolenic acid (ALA) is found in seed oils and green leafy vegetables. Starting with the most potent, the following seeds contain ALA: chia, kiwi, perilla, flax, lingonberry, purslane, sea buckthorne, hemp, canola, and soybean. ALA is also found in free range meat, eggs and dairy. Meat, eggs and dairy also have omega-6 fatty acids, but when the animals graze on greens (and bugs in the case of chickens) the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is more balanced than with grain fed animals.
   
   ALA is converted to DHA at a rate of 2-5% and to EPA at a rate of 2-15% in the body. So, taking fish oil is a more efficient way to to get DHA and EPA into the body. However, it's still a good idea to supplement the diet with a variety of omega-3 food sources and not rely solely on fish oil. It's not yet known if ALA itself has a beneficial effect on the body, but there is compelling research that ALA (without the conversion to DPA) may help in inflammatory conditions.


2. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is found in fatty cold water fish (concentrated fish oil), krill, breast milk, and microalgae. DHA is found in sperm, the retina and the cell walls of the brain. DHA reduces triglycerides, which are associated with heart disease. Research is looking at consumption of concentrated fish oil and cholesterol levels in the body. DHA is involved in the development of the brain and therefore DHA should be a conscious part of both preconception and pregnancy diets. Because of the positive relationship between DHA and serotonin, DHA is thought to help with depression, ADHD and Alzheimer's.


3. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is found in fatty cold water fish (concentrated fish oil), krill, breast milk, spirulina, microalgae and surprising there are trace amounts in purslane. EPA is a precursor for the eicosanoids; prostaglandin-3, thromboxane-3 and leukotriene-5. Prostaglandin-3 inhibits platelet aggregation. The National Institute of Health (NIH) notes that EPA reduces inflammation and benefits mental conditions like schizophrenia. Inflammation may affect fertility through inflammatory diseases like PID, endometriosis, PCOS or autoimmune conditions.


4. Docosapentaenoic acid is found in seal oil and has traditionally been consumed by the Inuit people, who are known for having low levels of heart disease. It's not available commercially (to my knowledge) and research is just getting started on docosapentaenoic acid.


5. Eicosatetraenoic acid is an intermediary between stearidonic acid and EPA and there's not much nutritional significance at this point.


6. Stearidonic acid is made from ALA in the body. It's the intermediary between ALA and EPA. There isn't much research on stearidonic acid at this point.

The omega-3 fatty acid pathway starts with alpha linolenic acid (ALA). Delta 6 Desaturase (D6D) then converts ALA to the intermediary, Stearidonic Acid. Delta 5 Desaturase (D5D) then continues the process to produce Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), which is converted to Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA).

Both EPA and DHA produce eicosanoids or influence eicosanoids in the body that are anti-inflammatory, hormone regulating, anti-clotting, anti-spasmotic, and may reduce sensitivity to prolactin. Also, EPA and DHA are helpful in allergic conditions, CV disorders, arthritis, asthma, and skin conditions like psoriasis.

I hope that you now have an understanding of what an omega 3 fatty acid means in terms of nutritional sources and health benefits. It appears that concentrated fish oil may be our most efficient source of DHA and EPA and a good choice for a preconception diet. However, supplementing the diet with healthy ALA foods like flax, pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables, and free range meat and dairy will help to insure adequate levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the body from a variety of food sources.