On Fri, 23 Aug 2002 08:20:41 -0500, Paleogal <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Too, how would flax seed work in pemmican?  Probably have to eat it within a
>few days or refrigerate it, right?  Oliva

Here we go again. :-)

Flax seed is not paleo.

Also, flax is only advisable for vegetarians.   Much better to have livestock
eat the flax and let them do the conversion to EPA and DHA (or let the cold
water fish eat the algae and let then do the conversion) and then eat them.

The conversion of ALA in flax to EPA and DHA does not work very well in humans.

"The synthesis of EPA is seemingly relatively straightforward from the
short-chain omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid (ALA), just as the
synthesis of arachidonic acid is from its short-chain precursor, linoleic acid.
However, ALA is an inhibitor of the delta 6-desaturase enzyme.  This inhibition
makes the formation of EPA much more difficult than it should be.  This is why
human studies have indicated that the efficiency of making EPA from ALA is
extremely limited.  Therefore, if you want to get the greatest benefit of EPA,
it will have to come from eating fish oil as opposed to vegetables sources rich
in ALA (such as flaxseed).

The situation is even more complex when EPA must further be metabolized to make
DHA, which is critical for the brain.  The EPA must be elongated twice more and
then converted again by the delta 6-desaturase enzyme to the actual precursor
of DHA, which then must be shortened by peroxisomal enzymes into DHA.   The
result is that the synthesis of DHA from ALA is even more difficult than the
synthesis of EPA (which isn't very good to begin with).  Furthermore, DHA acts
as a feedback inhibitor of the delta 6-desaturase enzyme that further reduces
the flow of ALA to EPA and DHA."

- from pg 246-7 of "The OmegaRx Zone" by Dr. Barry Sears


--
Cheers,

Ken
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