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Omega-3's Counterpart
Omega-3's have dominated EFA
supplement sales until now.
Source: Nutritional
Outlook
Date Published: October, 1999
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are garnering international
attention for their possible beneficial effects on arthritis,
skin conditions and cardiovascular afflictions. While
Omega-3 EFA supplements are widely popular among consumers,
its counterpart, Omega-6 EFAs have been virtually ignored,
according to Artur Klimaszewski, an MD with Biorigianl
Food and Science Corp., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada,
manufacturer of EFAs.
There are four types of Omega-6 EFAs: Linoleic Acid
(LA), Gamma-linolenic Acid (GLA), Dihommagamma-linolenic
Acid (DGLA) and Arachidonic Acid (AA). "LA is the most
common form of Omega-6. It is found in vegetable oils
such as corn, sunflower, soybean and safflower oils,"
says Klimaszewski. "While these sources are commonly
found in foods people eat every day, the problem lies
with the Delta-6 Desaturase (D6D) enzyme needed to metabolize
LA. In many people, this enzyme is impaired due to changing
environmental conditions and high consumption of hydrogenated
fat. "This damage can be attributed to genetic impairments
as well as environmental and lifestyle factors, such
as high intake of foods containing LA, alcohol consumption,
aging, disease conditions and stress, he says.
AA, found mainly in meats, eggs and shellfish, is
found to produce a class of eicosonoids that constricts
blood vessels and subsequently increases the possibility
of blood clotting. DGLA is found only in human milk
and in small quantities in some organ meats such as
spleen, liver and kidney.
These factors have influenced researchers to focus
their attention on GLA, which bypasses the D6D enzyme
and doesn't require it for metabolism. There are three
natural sources of GLA: borage oil, also known as star
flower, containing 20-24 percent GLA; black currant
oil, containing 14-17 percent GLA; and evening primrose
oil, containing 8-10 percent GLA. "Borage and black
current oils are good sources because the public is
more familiar with it than the other two sources," says
Klimazewski.
The GLA Solution
Once in the body, GLA produces a class of eicosanoids
that are anit-inflammatory, dilate blood vessels and
reduce blood clotting, says Klimaszewski. These effects
are helpful in the treatment of arthritis, skin conditions
such as eczema and psoriasis, lowering and even preventing
high blood pressure and reducing blood clotting, which
can lead to heart attacks and strokes. While he doesn't
want to create false hopes, "preliminary studies have
shown that GLA can help increase survival time in certain
cancer patients and slow down the growth of cancerous
tumors," Klimaszewski adds.
GLA can be used topically on the skin or taken orally.
Because the oils are sensitive to light, heat and oxygen,
the oral supplements are often sold in soft gelcaps.
Health From the Sun had added a line of EFA supplements
to its product line to meet the growing interest in
the products. The supplement line, contract manufactured
by Bioriginal, includes straight evening primrose, borage
and black current oils, formulas that are mixed with
Omega-3s, mixed formulas of borage oil that target specific
disorders such as "heart formula" and "EFA Attention
Formula" that is positioned to help people with attention
deficit disorders and "Total EFA."
"Each product has found its own segment of demand,"
says David Kulow, president, Health From the Sun, Waltham,
MA. While each of the supplements can be used by all
adults, Kulow had found the products are primarily being
purchased by females. The primrose has been well received
"because it has been associated with more hormonal and
skin issues," says Kulow. The black current oil has
been received well too. Even though it tends to be more
expensive that the other two oils, due to special machinery
needed to extract the oil, it contains both Omega-6
and Omega-3 EFAs.
October 1999
Nutritional Outlook
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