Is vegetarian omega 3 as effective as the kind obtained from fish?!
Question: and does it help hyperactivity in children?
Answers: and does it help hyperactivity in children?
The omega 3's found in vegetarian products is not as effective as that found in fish oil. The omega-3 found in flax seed oil, alpha linolenic acid (ALA, not to be confused with alpha lipoic acid), has only limited conversion to the more important EPA and DHA, and the magnitude of its biological effects is much smaller than in fish oil. A large portion of the omega-3s our ancestors consumed, provided ample amounts of DHA. For this reason, it is important to emphasize a diet that is high in both EPA and DHA, and one of the best ways to achieve this is supplementation with fish oil. The EPA and DHA found in fish increases plasma concentrations more than from fish oil supplements, but in this case one has to eat a lot of fish on a regular basis, and an additional problem is that fish that are NOT caught in the wild tend to have lower concentrations of EPA/DHA. Fish oil supplements are also a more convenient and less expensive source of EFAs.
Essentially, this means that plant foods containing omega 3 fatty acids, like flax, have to go through a conversion in the body by the liver to be usable, whereas the fish oils contain a better mix and more usable form of the EPA & DHA parts of the omega 3 complex.
Additionally, many of the plant forms of omega 3 that is constantly touted by the so called "food experts" in America, like Canola Oil, has many problems. The Canola you purchase in stores typically comes in clear bottles. This allows light to blast through into the liquid. Light causes the oil to go rancid. The only way to slow this down is to hydrogenate the oil and this is what most manufacturers do. This Hydrogenation process is an artery clogging problem because it breaks the double bond of the omega 3 and now it's not omega 3 anymore because the double bond is gone! If the canola is not hydrogenated, the oil becomes rancid, even at room temperature. Now when you heat the oil, even slightly, it polymerizes and the "cis" configuration of the oil is altered to the "TRANS" configuration and you get TRANS FATTY ACIDS, the very thing you are trying to avoid!
Hyperactivity in children is due to many things. A lot of it is because of "B" vitamin deficiencies from taking antibiotics and preservatives in food. The synthetic vitamins they put in processed foods, like cerals, is put there to "fortify" (love these words made up by clever marketing people) the nutrients they've removed that if left in will cause the food to spoil. Isn't it interesting the so called synthetic vitamins the put in to "fortify" it don't do this? These synthetic vitamins are not vitamins. They don't nourish the body. They are chemical activators that have some of the characteristics of the real vitamins and minerals that were in a full complex that contained cofactors, etc. that actually nourish the body.
These chemical activators actually deplete the body of nutrients because in order for them to work, they draw the cofactors from the body, like calcium, etc. so the body can utilize them.
When children are deficient in nutrients, there nervous system is compromised, as well as, many other systems in the body that affect learning abilities, etc.
To correct this problem, if you feed a child good nutrition that is balanced the way early man learned to eat, the child becomes healthy and all these symptoms seem to fade away quickly.
It's not easy to do this in America today. Especially walking down the so called "super" markets aisles. When I walk down these aisles today, I see "death row." Realize that refined sugar, white flour, hydrogenated oils, foods grown on chemically treated soils, heavily sprayed, etc. do not promote health. You cannot fool the body and the results are very evident in our society today.
In regard to omega 3's, you can overdo it and that is just as bad as not getting enough. The key to all this is balance. The best way is through food, but when the food does not contain the nutrients, the problems begin.
Good sustained energy, where a person is not going on a roller coaster action in their blood sugar is important in regard to hyperactivity. This energy comes from fat, not carbohydrates. Diets in America today promote High Carbs, Low Fat, and no red meat. This is ludicrous. The correct ratio of foods should be: 40% carbs, 30% fats, and 30% proteins. The 30% fats should be in the following balance:
60% Monounsaturated fats (like olive oil), 30% saturated fats (from grass fed beef, RAW butter from raw cream, coconut oil, etc.), and 10% polyunsaturated fats ( omega 3 & omega 6 fatty acids in a 1:1 ratio).
Do not buy pasteurized / homogenized dairy products. They are terrible for you. They contain lots of homocystines that cause allergies because the homogenization crushes the cells and creates these and the pasteurization destroys the calcium and good bacteria that help you digest it. Additionally, companies like Kraft Foods make "one day cheeses." They make it in one day, package it and ship it to you. This garbage contains huge amounts of lactose, preservatives, pasteurized milks and creams, and chemicals, including up to 30% soy garbage to make it cheaper to make.
Go to: www.organicpastures.com Look at their products and read the FAQ's. Learn what is good and why. Healthy cultures in the world eat RAW dairy and lots of fermented foods.
good luck
Nothing is better than the real thing , but anything is better than nothing , as far as hyperactivity gos check with a registered dietitian for some professional answers .
Good Luck
The benefits of flax oil and fish oil are somewhat different and each can be beneficial, but for different reasons.
The two most potent forms of omega-3s, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA),- beneficial for heart and brain health- are found in abundance in cold-water fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, and tuna (including the canned variety).
The sources of a third type of omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), are certain vegetable oils (such as flaxseed oil) and leafy greens (such as purslane). However, ALA doesn't affect the body in the same way that EPA and DHA do.
ALA needs to be converted to DHA and EPA in the body,and this conversion does not always take place, especially for people who are in less than optimal health. This would include many elderly folks. On the other hand, if you're in good health flax seed ALA may be converted by the body to DHA and EPA.
Thus, when the heart is concerned in the flax oil vs fish oil debate, fish oil wins, since you can get the crucial DHA and EPA directly through a quality fish oil. For brain health and symptoms like depression, a fish oil dietary supplement is recommended for much the same reasons.
If you want to experience the full benefits of flax seed, it is very important that you ground the seeds before you eat them or you can just use pure flax seed oil instead. The flax seed is way to hard to digest in the body and it will pass straight through the body without releasing any of it's nutrients.
The best Omega 3 is which you can find in drugstores, in capsules.
omega3 taken from fresh grinded flax seed is better than fish oil.unfortunately it got nothing to do with hyper.i believe for children hyperactivity give them good amount of vit.B complex
The omega 3 in fish oil is DHA and EPA which both have some heart benefits and DHA also has some brain benefits.
The omega 3 in flax seeds, flax oil, soy milk and other soy products and walnuts is ALA which has some heart benefits but no brain benefits.
So, if you want brain benefits then you need fish oil.
Only about 5 to 10% of the ALA in vegetable omega 3 is metabolised to DHA.