On Thu, 8 Apr 1999, Amadeus Schmidt wrote:

> This matter seems to be not so easy - I found in literature
> that humans were still able to make ALA from LA.

I doubt this.

> I think it can't be true that humans evolved on fish fats in the
> arctic.

True.  Simopoulos suggests a daily intake of EPA+DHA equal to
about a gram, I think.  To get the equivalent in ALA would
require much more.  But this is based on expected w-6 intake.  If
overall PUFA intake is low, I suppose one could get away with
less w-3.

> >To my knowledge, only walnuts have an appreciable amount of w-3.
> >Do you know of others?
>
> Well, most ratios are not as good as the "omega plan" suggests,
> but the overall polyunsaturated fat contents are very good.
> Don't you think that the w-3 fat relation to all the other fats
> mono and unsaturated is important?

Yes, but most nuts have very poor w-6:w-3 ratios.  Hazels, for
example, have a ratio of 39:1. Brazil nuts have a ratio of 383:1!
Much as I like nuts, I have to concede that as a general thing
they are too high in w-6 fats.  The fact that many people find
that nut consumption promotes acne is probably a result of the
pro-inflammatory nature of the fat ratios.

> Hm Omega plan mentiones butternuts and chia seed -
> which i don't know - its not in my dictionaries.

I've never eaten either one, but according to USDA the chia seeds
have an astonishingly favorable ratio of .8.

Todd Moody
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