On Tue, 3 Apr 2001, Dianne Heins wrote:

> >Not quite right.  ALA ends up as EPA/DHA, which are essential.
> >That is, ALA is the "source" omega-3 fat, the precursor of EPA
> >and DHA.  It also has the effect of slowing down E2 production.
> >When you eat fish oils, you're getting pre-converted ALA.  If you
> >eat ALA, the conversion happens in your body.
>
> Hm, I got that "avoid ALA" bit from the first protein power book (pg 343 in
> the pocket book version)--they talk about it "slowing down the gatekeeper"
> and poo-poo flaxseed oil because it's got so much.  Most of the rest of the
> stuff I've read, so far, is the "all praise to ALA" type of thing and
> repeated references to the same study :)

The Eades have recanted that particular position in their more
recent book, Protein Power Lifeplan.  Sears has softened his view
too.  The consensus seems to be that consuming up to a
tablespoon/day of flax oil will not unduly overburden the delta-6
desaturase enzyme.

As for confusion of labels, it can be tricky.  LA is linoleic
acid, period.  ALA is alpha-linolenic acid, but is also known
just as linolenic acid, abbreviated as LNA.  Thus ALA=LNA.

Also, there is a "potency" issue connected with omega-3 fats.  I
don't understand this very well, but I have read that only about
a tenth of ALA actually gets converted to EPA/DHA.  For example,
Artemis Simopoulos suggests that one get at least one gram of
EPA/DHA combined per day.  To do that, you can use fish oil and
just add up the EPA and DHA, or you can consume an amount of flax
oil that will give you 10g of ALA (I don't know how much oil that
is, but according to USDA it would be about 60g of raw flax
seeds).

Todd Moody
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