Dr. Dyerberg is a dynamic (and hilarious) speaker who talked about stumbling upon omega-3s after studying the Inuit population in Greenland (he published the first paper on his research in 1971). He also spoke about current omega-3 studies (there are now 14,000 published articles in scientific journals on this topic) and the what's on the horizon in regards to these remarkable good-for-you fats.
This is a fascinating topic I could write pages and pages about but here are a few important points for today:
- Right now there is no Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for omega-3 fatty acids (remember the old Recommended Daily Allowances? Well, DRIs basically replaced them). That's why there are no % Daily Values for omega-3 on cans of salmon or tins of sardines like you see for calcium on milk cartons or fiber on cereal boxes (the %DV is based on the DRIs).
- Researchers aren't 100% sure exactly how much omega-3 healthy people should consume each day but we do know two key things: 1) most Americans fall far short of what we need to "do the jobs" omega-3s do in the body (ranging from reducing inflammation to regulating the expression of genes and maintaining healthy eyes, skin, heart and brain function) and 2) many cardiologists recommend 1 g (or 1,000 mg) of EPA & DHA omega-3s combined (from both food and supplements) for people with diagnosed heart disease, the #1 killer of men and women.
From everything we've learned about nutrition
over the past several decades, we do know that
there's no one size fits all.
That's why scientists have been working on
developing an omega-3 index to test the EPA & DHA content of
red blood cells.
Current studies show that an omega-3 index value of 8% or higher is
linked to a 90% reduction in the risk of sudden death from heart
disease, compared to a value of 4% or less. Being able to test for
omega-3 adequacy would allow nutritionists and doctors to tailor
food and
supplement recommendations to individuals.
That's important since the standard
recommendation of 1,000 mg EP & DHA may be too much or too
little to achieve ideal omega-3 status depending on a
person's diet, genetics and other factors. Both
too much and too little are important since excesses can
interfere with medications or other supplements, cause
bleeding and possibly suppress immunity. (Look
up your medications and then click on the "Interactions" tab to see
what you should avoid.)
No word yet on exactly when the test will become available to the
general public (it has been used in research) but according to a
recent report, standardized laboratory methods and quality control
materials are being developed. Very exciting! I
can't wait to find out my percentage
-- in the near future I think this will become
just as important as knowing your HDL and LDL.
OK, I'm anxious to hear from you on this
topic:
Have you started eating more fatty fish for the purpose of getting
omega-3s?
Do you take omega-3 supplements or fish oil supplements?
Are you confused about the
omega-3s in flax and nuts compared to those in
fish?
Did you know you could get too much omega-3?
What are your questions and thoughts on this topic? Do you want to
know more?
Please share!
More ways to boost your health with omega-3s:
Find hundreds of omega-3 rich recipesStop heart attacks with omega-3 desserts
Eat this to get smarter
