I'm going to try asking this one more time....

[LilBit]

because when I asked a few days ago, I was completely misunderstood.

Please note that I'm NOT asking which brand someone prefers, nor am I asking for free advertising for any particular brand.

What I am asking is, nutritionally speaking, which one of these Omega 3's is more potent/better for the heart & cholesterol?

Supplement Facts










Container Size 180 Softgels

Serving Size 1 Softgel





Amount Per 1 Softgel

Content

%DV

fish oil concentrate
providing

1000 mg

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

300 mg

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

200 mg

vitamin E (d-alpha- tocopherol)

10 IU

% Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
* Daily Value (DV) not established.

http://www.naturalgreens.com/ProductDetail.asp/ProdID/217







or ….






http://www.icelandhealth.com/maximum.html

There is about a $140 difference between the two brands for the same 180 Capsules. I am trying to learn about Omega 3/6/9's and straight Omega 3's, trying to educate myself on just what they are as in, Omega 3 = fish oil, Omega 6 = Flax oil and Omega 9's = Borage Oil. From what I understand in trying to learn on my own here and not asking for any more help than I have to, EPA's and DHA's are what's important.

Well, the EPA levels and DHA levels in both of these brands are equal, 300mg and 200mg. Is there anything else in the ingredients that makes one nutritionally superior to the other? For those who care or not, I've decided to take the 3/6/9 once a week and the straight Omega 3's on the other 6 days per week.... just so I get them all in at some point and yet concentrate on the fish oil Omega 3's for the most part.

[G-Mom]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

Lil', I wouldn't stress so much about this. Didn't you buy Puritan's Pride? I would never, ever, spend that much for that Iceland Health stuff.

Remember, no one is watch dogging these folks to make sure they have quality stuff over the other guy. Just because their stuff is 10 times more expensive doesn't mean it is 10 times better.

All this stress over supplementation isn't going to help your health at all! Let me know if you need more help, ok?

[LilBit]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

Mostly, I'm trying to educate myself on just what "Omegas" are. I was reading some stuff this morning and now I get the indication that Omega 6's are fish oils as well? I had thought that the Omega 3's were the fish oils.

I'm just trying to understand.

Also, after reading this article, it seems that our diets/supplements should be richer in Omega 6's vs. Omega 3's ????

A few days ago, I was lead to believe exactly the opposite.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Citation


Thanks for caring enough to respond, G-Mom, and no, my Puritan order is pending for now as I still have Omega 3/6/9 to finish up for a week or so. If you could quickly read this article, (it's short), and let me know if I'm interpreting this correctly in that the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 should be higher?

G-mom

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

Have you checked in Dr Atkins book The Vitanutrient Solution I believe its called? Does he address your question there maybe?

[Jerzaka]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

Omega 3's are good fats. Did you know you can get them in foods, without the hassel of having to take supplements? Just a thought.

[boonie stomper]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

If you want to split hairs, the 2nd would probably be better, because you are getting more Omega 3's than the 1st. EPA and DHA amounts are the same in both, the 2nd claims additional Omega 3's. Take it with a heaping spoonful of salt (so to speak) and read on....


Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oil from oily fish and vegetable sources such as the seeds of chia, perilla, flax, walnuts, purslane, lingonberry, seabuckthorn, and hemp. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in the fruit of the acai palm. Omega-3 fatty acids are classified as essential because they cannot be synthesized in the body; they must be obtained from food.



Important omega-3 fatty acids in human nutrition are: α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

As fats are macronutrients they are not assigned recommended daily allowances. Macronutrients have AI (Acceptable Intake) and AMDR (Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range) instead of RDAs. The AI for n-3 is 1.6 grams/day for men and 1.1 grams/day for women [1] while the AMDR is 0.6% to 1.2% of total energy.[2]



"A growing body of literature suggests that higher intakes of α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may afford some degree of protection against coronary heart disease. Because the physiological potency of EPA and DHA is much greater than that for α-linolenic acid, it is not possible to estimate one AMDR for all n-3 fatty acids. Approximately 10 percent of the AMDR can be consumed as EPA and/or DHA."[2]



There was insufficient evidence as of 2005 to set a UL (upper intake limit) for n-3 fatty acids.[1]



Researchers believe the ideal omega-6 intake should be no more than 4-5 times that of our omega-3 intake. The National Institutes of Health recently published recommended daily intakes of fatty acids, specific recommendations include 650 mg of EPA and DHA, 2.22 g/day of alpha-linolenic acid and 4.44 g/day of linoleic acid.



The greatest risk of fish oil omega-3 supplementation is heavy metal poisoning by the body's accumulation of traces of heavy metals, in particular mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic and cadmium as well as other contaminants (PCBs, furans, dioxins), which may be found especially in less refined fish oil supplements.[citation needed] For these reasons, the FDA recommends that total dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids from fish be limited to 3 grams per day, of which no more than 2 grams per day are from nutritional supplements.



MORE:
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid

[boonie stomper]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

I'd personally take neither one; I'd get much more health value for the money by eating fish and flax!

[LilBit]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

MOG - No I haven’t checked into The Vitanutrient Solution, but I will. Good idea and thanks.



Jerzaka – Obtaining enough Omega 3’s in your diet through natural food sources would be extremely difficult, and that’s the one thing that most all physicians agree on. Most all physicians also agree that sadly nowadays, eating enough fish to consume the quantity of Omega 3’s needed is dangerous due to mercury levels and other toxins that are so prevalent in our fish supplies.





Boonie – 650 mg of EPA & DHA ? Wow, neither of these supplements even come close to that. Today alone, I’ve probably read information on 5 research studies showing that Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 … as well as 5 research studies that show what your link described. I don’t think that even the experts know for sure.



I do know that I can’t take Statins, so the 'hassle' of supplements is far more pleasant than being near death from drug allergies as I was in April.



Thanks to all who replied.

[Jerzaka]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

Jerzaka – Obtaining enough Omega 3’s in your diet through natural food sources would be extremely difficult, and that’s the one thing that most all physicians agree on. Most all physicians also agree that sadly nowadays, eating enough fish to consume the quantity of Omega 3’s needed is dangerous due to mercury levels and other toxins that are so prevalent in our fish supplies.

Yeah, but you can find Omega 3's in other natural food sources... Olive oil, flax and walnuts to name a few are all great sources.

[LilBit]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

Yeah, but you can find Omega 3's in other natural food sources... Olive oil, flax and walnuts to name a few are all great sources.

Theoretically you can, but the quantity of foods that you'd have to consume in order to obtain adequate levels of Omega 3's are astronomical.

I ran across a list of quantities in an article I was reading yesterday; they gave examples: "You'd have to eat ___ of ___ daily, which would be impossible if not at least unlikely".....blah blah. The amounts were shocking, which is why physicians agree that Omega 3's definitely lack in the human diet.

If I run across the article again, I'll post the link. It was a very interesting read.

[2big4mysize]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

okay here is the Omega 3 break down of the letters and foods Atkins legal you can get them from.

Alpha-linolenic acid is what is known as an omega 3 fat, and is a precursor of the longer chain omega 3 fats eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - ie EPA and to a lesser extent DHA can be made in the body from ALA. These two fatty acids are the ones available in significant amounts in oily fish, and fish oil supplements. All three omega 3 fats have been shown to
offer numerous physiological benefits, notably their anti-inflamatory properties
and their ability to offer cardioprotective effects especially in people with pre-existing cardiovascular problems, though EPA and DHA are more potent than simple ALA.

However as we age our bodies become less efficient at converting this stuff. ground flax provided 3.8 g of ALA per tablespoon of flax meal.

Dr Atkins because he knew we were getting mega amounts of omega 6 in our meat rich diets recommed we take larger amounts of Omege 3 to make up fopr this. his recommendation from the Atkins For Life book is 1000mg 3, 250 mg 6, and 250 mg 9.in other words 4 to 1 to 1. However the ratio in cellular fats is 1 to 4 of 3 to 6.


remember too to check the source of your info like the online stuff from wiki sites is something that internet folk like us can write, post, and edit. so it may or may not be accurate.

[2big4mysize]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

oops forgot the chart http://www.whfoods.com/nutrientchart.php?id=84

[Elizellen]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

That link didnt work for me, 2big!

[2big4mysize]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

sorry here is the chart with the listings the 3rd number is the amount of omega 3 in grams per the given serving size which is the 2nd colum

World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of:
omega 3 fatty acids
Food
Serving Size
Cals
Amount (g)
DV (%)
Nutrient Density
World's Healthiest Foods Rating
Flax Seeds2 tbs95.3 3.51 140.4 26.5 excellent
Cloves, Ground2 tsp14.2 0.20 8.0 10.1 very good
Nuts, Walnuts0.25 cup 163.5 2.27 90.8 10.0 excellent
Oregano, Ground2 tsp 9.2 0.12 4.8 9.4 good
Chinook Salmon Fillet-Baked/Broiled4 oz-wt 261.9 2.09 83.6 5.7 excellent
Cauliflower (boiled, drained)1 cup 28.5 0.21 8.4 5.3 very good
Scallops, Baked, Broiled4 oz-wt 151.7 1.10 44.0 5.2 very good
Seeds, Mustard2 tsp 35.0 0.20 8.0 4.1 very good
Cabbage (shredded, boiled)1 cup 33.0 0.17 6.8 3.7 very good
Lettuce, Romaine2 cup 15.7 0.08 3.2 3.7 good
Broccoli (pieces, steamed)1 cup 43.7 0.20 8.0 3.3 good
Brussels Sprouts, Boiled1 cup60.80.2610.43.1good
Squash, Winter, All Varieties1 cup80.00.3413.63.1 good
Tofu, Raw4 oz-wt 86.2 0.36 14.4 3.0 good
Squash, Summer, All Varieties1 cup 36.0 0.15 6.0 3.0 good
Halibut, Baked/Broiled4 oz-wt 158.8 0.62 24.8 2.8 good
Collard Greens, Boiled, Drained1 cup 49.4 0.18 7.2 2.6 good
Spinach (boiled, with salt)1 cup 41.4 0.15 6.0 2.6 good
Kale, Fresh, Boiled1 cup 36.4 0.13 5.2 2.6 good
Soybeans, Cooked1 cup 297.6 1.03 41.2 2.5 good
Shrimp, Mixed Species, Steamed, Boiled4 oz-wt 112.3 0.37 14.8 2.4good
Greens, Turnip, Cooked1 cup 28.8 0.09 3.6 2.3 good
Cod, Pacific, Fillet, Baked, Broiled4 oz-w t119.1 0.32 12.8 1.9 good
Strawberries, Fresh1 cup 43.2 0.11 4.4 1.8 good
Green Snap/String Beans, Boiled1 cup 43.8 0.11 4.4 1.8 good
Snapper, Baked4 oz-wt 145.2 0.361 4.4 1.8 good
Tuna, Yellowfin, Baked/Broiled4 oz-wt 157.6 0.331 3.2 1.5 good

World's Healthiest Foods Rating Rule
excellentDV>=75% OR Density>=7.6AND DV>=10%
very goodDV>=50% OR Density>=3.4AND DV>=5%
goodDV>=25% OR Density>=1.5AND DV>=2.5%

[boonie stomper]

Re: I'm going to try asking this one more time....

I can't tell which is the 3rd number