The Omega-3 Debate PowerPoint - Terry Talks Nutrition...less desirable sn-1, sn-3 positions. • When EPA or DHA is located in the sn-2 position on the carrier chain, better effects

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The Omega-3 Debate

Presented by Terry Lemerond


Quick Review of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Essential

– Human body can’t make them

– Must be acquired through food

• Benefits

– Reduce risk of many chronic diseases

• Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, etc

– Other uses

• Arthritis, ADD/ADHD, depression, etc


How Popular Are They?

• Annual sales in 2013 are expected to reach over $500 million dollars

• Experiencing significant annual growth even after the recession – up to 12%

• United States is the leading global consumer of omega-3

Frost and Sullivan “Fishing for Opportunities in the Omega-3 Market”

http://www.slideshare.net/FrostandSullivan/frost-sullivan-analyst-briefing-

fishing-for-opportunities-in-the-omega3-market


The Consequence of Popularity

More than 40% of world fish production

is unsustainable!


Purity Issues

• Mercury and other heavy metals accumulate in the ocean

• As large fish eat small fish, the heavy metal burden increases

• Tuna, swordfish, shark and mackerel can have mercury concentrations in their bodies that are 10,000 times higher than those of their surrounding habitat.


Other Contaminants

• Dioxin– By-product of waste incineration, pesticide and chemical

manufaturing, and pulp and paper bleaching– Carcinogen, hormone disruptor, etc

• PCBs– Popular from the 1930s to 1970s– Used in manufacturing (plastics and lubricating oils)– Endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, developmental disorder in

children

• These toxins don’t break down easily and remain in the environment for a long time even if no longer in industrial use

• Accumulate in the fats of animals, including fish

• The higher up the food chain, the greater the potential for contamination


8 Brands Sued

for PCB

Contamination


Stability

• Most fish oils become

unstable (rancid) when

exposed to air

• Chemically modified oils

spoil very quickly – in as

little as one day, even

with added antioxidants

such as vitamin E

Oil Stability (days)*

Vitamin E content

(IE/g)

Fish Oil 1 1 6.8

Fish Oil 2 3 20.0

Fish Oil 3 4 4.4

Fish Oil 4 4 5.0

Stability = time to rancidity (peroxide value 20) after

exposure of the oil to air at room temperature.

Adapted from Saldeen T. Fish oil and health. http://www.positivehealth.com/article/essential-fatty-acids/fish-

oil-and-health


Bioavailability

• Omega 3s from fish

OIL are bound to

triglycerides

• These are inefficient

carriers

• The best absorption

of omega 3 fatty acids

is obtained by those

with a natural bond to

phospholipids


What Are The Omega-3 Options?

• Marine lipids

– Best known – fish

– Krill

– Squid

• Plant-based

– Flax and Chia

– Algae


Traditional Omega-3 Delivery Systems


How About Omega-3 from Plants?• Flaxseed does not contain preformed EPA/DHA

– Source of ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which can be converted in the body to EPA and DHA

– Approximately 1-5% conversion rate1,2

– Process is not efficient and does not yield high amount of EPA/DHA

• Chia seeds– Like flax, a source of ALA which can be

converted to EPA/DHA– Also contains fiber, protein and other minerals

such as calcium

• Why is ALA so poorly converted?– Both ALA and the omega-6 fatty acid, linolenic acid (LA), require

the same enzyme for conversion– This enzyme (delta-6-desaturase) converts LA first– Diets high in omega-6 mean less enzyme activity for ALA

conversion

1. J Lipid Res. 2005 Feb;46(2):269-80. ; 2. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Aug;92(2):284-93.


Omega-3 from Algae

• Primarily a source of DHA – “enriched” (spiked) to raise the DHA levels

• Algal oil can also be a source of EPA – It depends on the species of algae used.

• Very difficult to obtain an algal oil rich in both EPA and DHA.

• Algal oil can be compare to a typical fish oil for its composition in triglycerides and its process of extraction.


Fish Oil Processing


Issues with Traditional Fish Oils

• Processed – unstable

• Produced with use of undesirable solvents

• Triglyceride based

– Altered molecular form, low absorption

• No longer in the natural EPA/DHA ratios

– Manufacturers can order any ratio they wish

and vendors can supply it


Why Not Squid?

• Sustainable? Argentina banned squid fishing in May of this year because of low populations; other areas have few concerns yet

• Do contain omega fatty acids, but at low amounts – Up to 80% less than salmon (0.3 – 0.6 g/100 g versus

1.4 g/100 g in Atlantic salmon)1

• Otherwise the same issues as fish oil..– Refined, triglyceride carrier (no phospholipids)

– Potential for toxin contamination as squid consume contaminated mollusks

1. Omega-3 fatty acids content in fish and seafood per 100-gram portion. http://thepaleodiet.com/nutritional-tools/omega-3-fats-fish/


Why Not Krill?

• Krill = shrimp-like sea animals

– Are better absorbed than traditional fish oil

– Bound to phospholipids (more on phospholipids in just a minute…)

• BUT . . .

– Often processed with hexane to remove high levels of cholesterol

– Toxic chemical made from crude oil

• Released into the atmosphere after use (produces ozone)

• Dangerous for workers who must use it (highly toxic, flammable,

and carcinogenic)

• Residue can be left on ingredients after extraction

• Toxic to the nervous system


Other Concerns with Krill

• Sustainable source?

– Krill fishing now banned off coast of

California, Oregon and Washington

– Whole Foods banned krill products in

• What about whales and other marine life?

– Blue whales feed exclusively on krill

– Penguins, fish, squid and other animals and

birds also use krill as an important food

source


Krill Fight Global Warming

• Krill feed on

phytoplankton at the

surface of the ocean

• Sink to the depths to

digest food and deposit

carbon-rich waste on the

ocean floor

• Transport an amount of

carbon equivalent to the

annual emissions of 35 million cars


Phospholipid Omega-3 from Salmon

• Project of the Government of France– Investigated by Drs. Parmentier, Liner and Fanni –

world experts on lipid research

– Conducted at the University of Nancy

• Goal – extract omega-3 fatty acid-rich tissue bound to phospholipids from salmon heads without solvents or changing the molecular profile

• Method– Processed within one hour of harvest

– Cold water and enzyme extraction - No chemicals or solvents


Sustainable Production


Vectorization


Caco-2 Testing• Predicts human permeability of drug or supplement

ingredients using human intestinal cells in a laboratory test model

• In other words – will the ingredient pass the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream?

• “Caco-2 permeability assay is considered to be the industry gold standard for in vitro prediction of in vivo human intestinal permeability and bioavailability of orally administered drugs.”

Test compound goes in top layer; sample extracted from bottom layer to verify compound passed the cellular barrier


Phospholipid Form = Better Absorption

• Caco-2 testing

– 5 times greater intestinal absorption vs triglyceride fish oil

• Intracellular levels

– 50 times greater intracellular increase vs.triglyceride fish oil


A Perfect Match

• Exposure to heat, pressure and solvents alters the position of the fatty acids on the TAG carbon chain, redistributing them from the preferred sn-2 position to the less desirable sn-1, sn-3 positions.

• When EPA or DHA is located in the sn-2 position on the carrier chain, better effects have been reported than when found in the sn-1,3 positions.

• Omega-3 that is not subjected to harsh processing methods remain in their original positions on the carbon chain (sn-2), which is in turn bioidentical to the positioning of Omega-3 fatty acids in the human brain.

• This allows for a perfect match with how the body utilizes DHA and EPA.


The Power of Phospholipids

• Traditional fish oils

– Carried on triglycerides

– Altered molecular form (sn-1, sn-3 position)

– Not efficiently absorbed

– High intake levels required for benefits (spoonfuls of oil or multiple capsules)

• Vectorization

– Carried on phospholipids

– Natural, preferred molecular form (sn-2)

– Efficiently absorbed

• Brain tissue preferentially

absorbs DHA as sn-2 vs.

other forms

• Higher increase of

DHA/EPA serum levels vs

triglyceride carriers

– 1 or two tablets daily


Clinical Research

• Two tablets daily of phospholipid omega-3

• 40 participants

• Results – 16% decrease in triglycerides

– 10% decrease in total cholesterol

– 13% increase in HDL levels.

• In fish oil studies, 4 grams or more of fish oil daily was needed to achieve similar results.


Who can really benefit from

Phospholipid omega-3?

• You have diabetes

– Need to avoid the triglycerides from fish oil

• You have had your gall bladder removed

– You might have problems digesting fatty oils

• You have had weight loss surgery or have had

to have part of your intestines removed

– Might have problems digesting fatty oils

• You have damaged intestinal lining because of

gluten sensitivities or other intestinal problems

– Might have a problem digesting fatty oils


Recap

• Omega-3 are ideal of treating– Chronic inflammatory conditions

– Brain and Neurological function

– Immune support

• Fish oils are on triglyceride carriers– Poorly absorbed; stability issues

• Plant omega-3s must be converted to EPA/DHA

• Phospholipid omega-3 from salmon is – Well absorbed

– Effective

– Identical to what is found in the human body


Final Thoughts

• When selecting an omega-3 supplement, there is

no choice free of environmental consequences

• We are all stewards of our planet and its

resources

• It is up to each of us to make wise decisions to

ensure a healthy future for ourselves and our

planet

Documents

The Omega-3 Debate PowerPoint - Terry Talks Nutrition...less desirable sn-1, sn-3 positions. • When EPA or DHA is located in the sn-2 position on the carrier chain, better effects