Top Food Sources ~ Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Top Foods High in Omega-6

Omega-6 fatty acids are the most common polyunsaturated fats consumed in an Americans diet. The top sources for omega-6 fatty acids are found in oils as these have the highest concentrate of these types of acids. This allows for meals to contain a lot of omega-6 fatty acids as these oils such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and corn oil can be mixed into key ingredients such as margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressings, snack foods, processed foods, and even fast foods. The key dietary omega-6 fatty acids consist of the essential fatty acid linoleic and another found in animal food sources known as arachidonic acid.

Oils (per tablespoon)               Omega-6 (grams / % of daily maximum)

1. Safflower Oil-----------------------------------10.1g (151%)
2. Grapeseed Oil-----------------------------------9.5g (142%)
3. Vegetable Oil------------------------------------7.9g (118%)
4. Wheat Germ Oil-------------------------------- 7.5g (112%)
5. Corn Oil------------------------------------------ 7.3g (109%)
6. Walnut Oil--------------------------------------- 7.2g (107%)
7. Cottonseed Oil---------------------------------- 7.0g (104%)
8. Soybean Oil-------------------------------------- 6.9g (103%)
9. Sunflower Oil------------------------------------ 5.4g (81%)
   
   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

Spreads (per tablespooon)

1. Mayonnaise, soybean oil------------------------5.2g (78%)
2. Margarine-----------------------------------------3.8g (57%)
3. Butter Spread, 60% vegetable oil--------------3.4g (51%)
   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

Processed Foods (per serving)

1. BK Chicken Whopper---------------------------11.5g (172%)
2. McDonald's Filet O Fish------------------------- 6.3g (94%)
3. Pizza Hut Cheese Pizza------------------------ 4.9g (73%)
4. Granola Bar---------------------------------------2.9g (43%)
5. Frankfurter, vegetarian-------------------------2.4g (36%)
6. Frankfurter, pork--------------------------------1.5g (22%)
7. Vegetarian Burger-------------------------------1.4g (21%)
8. Popcorn-------------------------------------------1.3g (19%)

For more information containing this list of food sources for omega-6 fatty acids, click here to visit a useful website!

EFAs & Skeletal Phospholipids Research

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of omega-3 LCPUFA supplementation to obese adolescents on skeletal muscle lipids and glucose and insulin homeostasis. Obese adolescents have higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids and low omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCUFAs) in their plasma phospholipids.

Method

The methods of this study had twenty-five obese adolescents (14-17 years old, with 14 females) complete a randomized double-blind crossover study supplying capsules containing either 1.2g omega-3 LCPUFAs or a placebo, for 3 months each with a six-week washout period. The participant's fasting blood glucose, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, and lipids were measured. The results were concluded from a Intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp were performed, and skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained at the end of each period.

Results

The study yielded results with concentrations of EPA, DHA, and total omega-3 PUFA in muscle phospholipids increased in both sexes. In the females, omega-3 LCPUFA supplementation improved glucose tolerance by 39% and restored insulin concentration by 34% during IVGTT. Insulin sensitivity improved 17%. In males, none of these parameters was influenced by omega-3 supplementation. Thus, three months of supplementation of omega-3 LCPUFA improved glucose and insulin homeostasis in obese girls without influencing body weight.  

Commentary

I think that this study was a success because it set out to figure if supplements of essential fatty acids to obese adolescents had any positive effects and the results concluded that the supplements did indeed influence glucose and insulin homeostasis by improving it in obese girls without changing their body weights, although the results concluded with no change in males. I think these results are very important to leading the research to figure out how to improve insulin homeostasis in males in the future. This research can now be used to influence doctors and nutritionists to promote and advocate omega-3 supplements for obese women trying to improve their glucose and insulin homeostasis as well as total omega-3's in muscle phospholipids.

Citations

Dangardt, Frida, Yun Chen, Eva Gronowitz, Jovanna Dahlgren, Peter Friberg, and Birgitta Strandvik. "High Physiological Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Affects Muscle Fatty Acid Composition and Glucose and Insulin Homeostasis in Obese Adolescents."Hindawi Publishing Corporation. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnume/2012/395757/>

Top Food Sources ~ Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Top 10 Foods High in Omega-3

Essential fatty acids such as linolenic acid commonly known as omega-3 fatty acids are a high profile nutritional trend for a good reason and that is because these fatty acids are known to be the building blocks of lipids, which are vital nutrients. Omega-3 fatty acids help to regulate blood clotting, build cell membranes, and support cell health while being found in multiple sources of whole foods. The following list will contain the top ten foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, and will provide you with a realistic idea behind how to obtain your needed omega-3 fatty acids.

10. Pasture-raised Meats

Meats from animals that have been pasture raised and subsist mostly on grasses which convert the omega-3 acids in most plants known as alpha-linolenic acids (ALAs). About only 5% of the ALA is converted in human bodies from plants and therefore the ALA found in animals has already been converted and contains more usable forms for the human body.

9. Enriched Dairy Foods

Similar to meat from animals that are grass-fed, their milk contains more omega-3 acids than animals that aren't pasture raised. Based on the types of diets these animals are fed their milk can contain higher ratios of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

8. Enriched Eggs

In the same scenario as pasture raised animals with their meat and their milk, eggs are also omega-3 enriched by adding to these animals types of feed that are high in omega-3 fatty acids to hen's diet. The eggs that these hen's then produce contain a higher density of omega-3 fatty acids than usual.

7. Edamame

Edamame are green soybeans that can be bought roasted and ready to eat, or partially cooked for use in salads, stir-fries, and other different types of recipes.

6. Wild Rice

Wild rice is included on this list because it is a bit deceiving as it is actually a grass and not a rice. This is different from white or brown rice as they are grains but don't contain the high amount of omega-3 fatty acids that grass does.

5. Walnuts

Walnuts stand out from other nuts because they have significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the form of alpha-linolenic acids (ALAs). Walnuts are very useful as they can be added to a lot of meals without much hassle to increase the overall amount of omega-3 fatty acids you get per serving.

4. Canola Oil

Canola oil comes from the canola plant which is a modified variety of rapeseed. Canola oil has the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of all common culinary oils. Due to the high point in which it takes to make canola oil smoke it can be used on a larger variety of cooking methods such as frying and baking.

3. Flax

Flax is a bit of a food mystery to most Americans and is most recognized as being used in healthy cereals. Flax can be found in seed form or oil form with about 60% of it's fats being omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed oil is known to be the best plant source of alpha-linolenic acids (ALAs), although it isn't as common as canola oil for cooking due to the low smoking point.

2. Beans

Beans seem odd as they are known for their low fat content which is completely true, however most of the fat consists of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. With beans it is important to find some such as black beans which provide an almost equal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

1. Sustainable Seafood

Lipids in cold water fish consist of long, kinked carbon chains, which fill up space to add insulation and these are high quality omega-3 fatty acids in which the EPA and DHA that are essential to human nutrition. The biggest problem we face with this excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids are the sustainability of fish and being able to have these fish in the future.

-For more information on this food list, click here to learn!

Essential Fatty Acids & Skeletal Muscle Research

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to examine the small effects that meals with different essential fatty acid compositions would have on skeletal muscle fatty acid processing and postprandial insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant obese men. High dietary fat quality may influence skeletal lipid processing and fat accumulation which can thereby modulate insulin sensitivity.

Method

The methods used were a single-blind, randomized, crossover study, with 10 insulin-resistant men who consumed 3 high fat meals a day, which were high in SFAs, MUFAs, or PUFAs. After this fasting and postprandial skeletal muscle fatty acid processing was examined by measuring differences in arteriovenous concentrations across the forearm muscle. Finally, skeletal muscle biopsy samples were taken to assess intramuscular lipid metabolism and gene expression as results of the study.

Results

The study yielded results that insulin and glucose responses after the SFA meal were significantly higher than those after the PUFA meal. Uptake of triacylglycerol-derived FAs was lower in the postprandial phase after the PUFA meal than after the other meals. The study concluded that the PUFAs induced less transcriptional down regulation of oxidative pathways than did the other meals. PUFAs reduced triacylglycerol-derived skeletal muscle FA uptake, which was directly linked to higher postprandial insulin sensitivity, and therefore may be protective against the development of insulin resistance.

Commentary

I think that this study was an excellent experiment to test for something very practical and useful in the future. If this study leads to developing a method to be protective against the development of insulin resistance in people, especially those who are threaten by obesity then this would be a move forward in nutritional medicine. The knowledge gained by researching essential fatty acids and the different chains they form in each different type of fatty acid molecule. I agree with these conclusions as the research seems very obvious and easy to follow. I think the conclusion correlated to the findings of the study and the information is completely relevant. I think the method containing only 10 men was a very small sample size but can still produce direct results from a study like this in which the results are very obvious and clear from biopsy samples.

Citations

Jans, Anneke, Ellen Konings, Gijs Goossens, Freek Bouwman, Chantalle Moors, Mark Boekschoten, Lydia Afman, Michael Müller, Edwin Mariman, and Ellen Blaak. "PUFAs acutely affect triacylglycerol-derived skeletal muscle fatty acid uptake and increase postprandial insulin sensitivity ."The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/95/4/825>  

Linoleic Acid (Omega-6)

Linoleic Acid (Omega-6)

The second of the two essential fatty acids is known as linoleic acid and is the main omega-6 fatty acid. In a healthy human the body will convert linoleic acid into gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which will then later be synthesized with EPA from the omega-3 group into eciosanoids. Most Americans are able to obtain an excess of linoleic acid although it isn't often converted into GLA because of their metabolic issues caused by diets high in alcohol, sugar, and trans fats from processed foods, as well as the following.

• Smoking
• Pollution
• Stress
• Aging
• Viral Infections
• Diabetes

Omega-6 fatty acids are very important for dietary intake and if unable to obtain the correct amount should be supplemented as they can aid in multiple bodily functions and improve some of the following.

• 

  Diabetic Nueropathy
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• PMS
• Skin Disorders (Psoriasis & Eczema)
• Cancer Treatment
  
  
  Visit GoodFats for more information!

Linolenic Acid Research

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to see if dietary intakes of linolenic acid, which is one of the two essential fatty acids, is associated with reduced risk of hip fracture in older adults. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are thought to infulence bone health via multiple different mechanisms but studies on hip fracture risk are very lacking and limited. The driving factor behind these claims is that fatty acids have been shown to favorably affect intenstinal calcium transport and calcium excretion. In previous adult human studies some protective effects have been observed for omega-3 fatty acid intake in relation to hip bone mineral density and for linolenic acid (ALA) in relation to bone resorption.

Method

The methods used to conduct the study started with participants who were drawn from the Framingham Heart Study in which 5209 women and men aged 28 through 62 years old were selected from a random sample of 2/3's of the househoulds in Framingham, MA to participate in the study and were examined biennially for more than 50 years. Eventually, 1164 of the 1402 surviving members had their BMD measurements taken at the 20^th biennial examination. The study excluded multiple participants based on energy intakes less than 2512 calories/day, with prior hip fractures, or participants missing covariate information for BMI, smoking status, or physical activity. The final study consisted of 904 participants with 552 women and 352 men. Usual dietary intake for the previous 12 months was assessed with a self-administered 126-item FFQ for several nutrients including total polyunsaturated fatty acids and linolenic acid. In the study hip fractures were reported by participants at each biennial exam or interview and then the occurrence of hip fractures were further identified through systematic review of medical records of hospitalizations and deaths which were then confirmed by reviewing medical records and radio-graphic and operative reports.

Results

The results concluded that associations between polyunsaturated fatty acids intakes and fracture risk were similar in analyses conducted separately in men and women in all models with the exception that significant protective associations were observed between intakes of AA and hip fracture risk in men, but not women. Higher ALA intake was associated with lower hip fracture risk. Participants in the highest quartile (Q4) of ALA intake had a 54% lower risk of hip fracture than those in the lowest quartile (Q1), while participants in quartile 2 (Q2) had a 50% lower risk of hip fracture than those in the lowest quartile (Q1).

Commentary

I think that this study was very interesting and ground-breaking for essential fatty acids with the focus being on linolenic acid and the associated fatty acids. Prior to reading the entire study and research I was a bit skeptical on any connection between essential fatty acids and lower or reduced risk of hip fractures in older adults. However, as the results clearly showed evidence that those with the highest intake of alpha linolenic acid had a 54% lower risk of hip fracture than those with the lowest intake of ALA, and evidence even continued to support the hypothesis with the middle quartile of ALA intake still showing a 50% lower risk than the lowest quartile of ALA intake. This was a very important study as it proved the hypothesis to be correct and opened doors to further research regarding essential fatty acids and the potential benefits that we have yet to discover.

Citations

Farina, Emily, Douglas Kiel, Ronenn Roubenoff, Ernst Schaefer, Adrienne Cupples, and Katherine Tucker. "Dietary Intakes of Arachidonic Acid and α-Linolenic Acid Are Associated with Reduced Risk of Hip Fracture in Older Adults ."Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/141/6/11446.abstract>

Linolenic Acid (Omega-3)

Linolenic Acid (Omega-3)

One of the two fatty acids that are considered to be essential is known as linolenic acid and is also called alpha linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the main omega-3 fatty acid in which the human body first converts into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and then later converts into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA is eventually then convered into the hormone-like compound known as eicosanoids which help different bodily functions such as our vital organs as well as interculluar activity. Omega-3 fatty acids are also used in the formation of our cell's walls by making them responsive and flexible. The fatty acids also aid the cell walls by improving circulation and oxygen uptake with proper red blood cell function and flexibility. Humans that have omega-3 deficiencies have been linked to multiple negative bodily effects and functions as follows.

• 
  Decreased memory & mental abilities
• Tingling sensation of nerves
• Poor vision
• Increased tendency to form blood clots
• Lower immune function
• Increased amounts of triglycerides
   & “junk” cholestrol (LDL) levels
• Impaired membrane function
• Hypertension
• Irregular heart beat
• Learning disorders
• Menopausal discomfort
• Itchiness on the front of the lower legs
• Growth retardation in infants, children, & pregnant women
  
  
  
  
  Visit GoodFats for more information!