Omega
C Questions & Answers |
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What
are Omega 3 and Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)? (top)
These
'Essential Fatty Acids' are essential nutrients our bodies can't
make, and we must eat in our diet to maintain health.
Omega 3 nutrients are used by our bodies in maintaining heart health,
and nervous system, immune system and cellular health and are mostly
found in fish.
Omega 6 nutrients are used in maintaining heart and reproductive
health, as well as for skin and hair growth. We get Omega 6 in our
diet from unsaturated fats, such as those found in sunflower and
safflower products. |
How
much fish should I be eating to consume adequate levels of Omega
3 (top)
Current
recommendations of both the British and American Heart Associations
include advice to eat 2-3 portions of fatty fish per week to gain
sufficient levels of Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids to maintain cardiovascular
and general health. For various reasons not all of us manage to
achieve this through our normal diet. For example, you may dislike
eating fish, you may be concerned about mercury contamination levels
in some fatty fish and fish oils, or may find that fish oil supplements
disagree with your stomach.
If
this is the case you might want to supplement your diet with an
alternative source of Omega 3, such as our 'Fish Free' Nutura Omega
C |
Nutura
OmegaC is 'Fish-Free'- so where does the Omega 3 come from?(top)
Some
specific types of plants have been found to contain Omega 3 Essential
Fatty Acids (EFAs) at low levels in the form of ALA or alpha linolenic
acid, which is the parent molecule of the Omega 3 family of EFAs.
Nutura OmegaC is extracted from the Perilla plant, a particularly
rich and potent source of Omega 3 in the form of ALA.
ALA
is a slightly less potent form of Omega 3 than the types found in
fatty fish, but your body is able to convert the ALA into the same
Omega 3s as those found in fish, as and when they are needed by
the body. |
How
much Nutura OmegaC should I take and when?(top)
Current
recommendations of the UK Government and both the American and British
Heart Association state that we should eat 2-3 portions of fatty
fish per week, which is the equivalent of up to 1.6 g of Omega 3
EFAs per day to produce the desired increase in blood levels.
Only you
know how much fish you normally eat, and so you must choose how
much is appropriate for you to increase your EFA intake to this
level. Bear in mind that 1 Omega-C Softgel will produce the same
increase in blood levels as 4 ordinary softgels containing over
1000mg, therefore we would recommend between 1 to 3 softgels per
day as supplementation. |
How
much Omega 3 is in Nutura OmegaC at the recommended dose?(top)
Each softgel
of Nutura OmegaC contains 270mg of Omega 3, so taking 1 softgel
three times per day will give you 0.8 grams of Omega 3 daily. However,
because the fatty acids in both natural food or normal supplements
break down in the stomach and will congeal with stomach acids, they
then have to be emulsified by bile before they can be absorbed.
Not all Omega 3 that is normally ingested from food or standard
supplements will be absorbed for this reason.
Omega-C
is Entrox coated, so it passes through the stomach before the softgel
breaks down to release its contents, so all the Omega 3 is available
to be absorbed. 3 Omega-C softgels per day produces similar
EFA blood levels of as those used to base current recommendations
for health, and it is for this reason that our recommended dosage
of Omega-C is limited to 3 softgels daily.
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What
is the ideal intake of Omega 6 and Omega 3 in the diet?(top)
Studies
have shown that for general health there should be a balance between
Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet, and experts propose
that a balance of approximately 4:1 is the ideal. However, it is
estimated that in the current average western diet this ratio lies
at up to 20:1 in favour of Omega 6. Omega 6 is provided in the diet,
principally in the form of linoleic acid from cooking oils and vegetable
margarine made from safflower, sunflower, corn and soybeans.
Sources
of Omega 3 in the diet (primarily fatty fish) are less common than
sources of Omega 6, and so the important thing is to eat enough
Omega 3 to maintain a healthy Omega balance. Eating 2-3 portions
of fatty fish per week or the Omega 3 supplement equivalent should
usually be enough to do this.
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What
does it mean for my health if I don't eat enough Omega 3?(top)
Why is this balance of Omega EFAs important?
The balance
of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is important because both families of Omega
EFAs use the same enzymes in their biochemical pathways for a process
called desaturation, which is essential for conversion into the
forms of EFAs the body needs for normal functioning, and so competitively
inhibit each other.
Unfortunately
we cannot inter-convert Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids within our
bodies, so it is essential to eat the right proportions. When we
get this ratio too far out of balance we can develop problems:-
- ·
excessive levels of Omega 3 may reduce blood clotting time
- ·
excessive levels of Omega 6 increases the risk of Coronary Heart
Disease (CHD).
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Why
does Nutura OmegaC have a special coating?(top)
If it didn't,
the softgel would break down in the stomach, where the EFAs would
congeal in the stomach as fats and other lipids are not water soluble.
They would then have to be emulsified by bile to be properly digested
and absorbed. This means that not all the EFA that you took would
be absorbed, so you would need to take a higher number of softgels
to get the same benefit.
Because
Nutura OmegaC has its Entrox coating it does not break down until
after it passed through the stomach, so all of the EFAs can be readily
absorbed.
The Entrox
coating also helps to protect the Omega complex from being oxidised
whilst it sits in your cupboard, so it stays fresh and lasts longer. |
Can
I take Nutura OmegaC with other foods?(top)
The absorption
of the EFAs in OmegaC should be unaffected when Nutura OmegaC is
taken with or without food. This is because Nutura OmegaC has a
special coating to protect the contents of the softgel from the
acid environment of the stomach, and so prevents the EFAs from congealing
in the stomach with other dietary fats.
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Why
does Nutura OmegaC have added Vitamin E?(top)
This is
because Omega Essentail Fatty Acids are very prone to being oxidised
by light and air. Vitamin E is a natural anti-oxidant, and combined
with the Entrox coating helps to prevent the Omega EFAs from being
oxidised so that they keep all their potency, and can be stored
for longer. |
Can
I take Nutura OmegaC if I am pregnant or nursing?(top)
Omega 3
and Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids are important for general health
and also foetal development. However, as with all food supplements,
it is a good idea to discuss this with your health professional
and take their advice as is appropriate for your own individual
circumstances. |
Has
the effect of the Entrox coating been tested?(top)
Yes. Two
formulations of Perilla Oil (500mg) were evaluated, one with the
Xylose enteric coating and one without. Levels of Omega 3 increased
by a third in people taking the Xylose coated Perilla capsules,
compared to an increase of less than one tenth for people taking
the standard gelatine Perilla formulation. This means that the Entrox
coated formulation delivered significantly more Omega 3 EFAs - four
times more.
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