Avoid supplementation with borage and fish oils? GLA, Omega-3...

[Niko]

Hello all members.

I would like to comment to the statement below regarding Toms
supplementation with Borage,Fish oil, GLA and Omega-3.
Anyone’s input and feedback would be appreciated!

Comment: From what I have learned is that the body makes
conversion to GLA, EPA & DHA given enough starting material
(ALA & LA); omega-3 blocks conversion of omega-6 to
arachidonic acid. Also, because of the processing damage,
contamination, and toxicity, one should avoid supplementation
with borage and fish oils.

=============================================================================

In a previous post, Tom Matthews stated:

"GLA is a special omega-6 fat which will produce
anti-inflammatory prostaglandins (after lengthing to 20 carbon
di-homoGLA (DHGLA), while arachidonic acid (mainly found in
meat products) produces the inflammatory prostagandins. If
linoleic acid (the base omega-6 found plentifully in all
plants sources) is allow to convert to GLA (by desaturation)
and then GLA is allowed to convert on through DHGLA into
arachidonic acid (by additional desaturation), we get the bad
effects of too much of that fatty acid. Taking GLA directly
with EPA/DHA at the same time helps to prevent this unwanted
occurence by feedback effects on the pathways involved. For
some time now, I have been recommending fish oils as the most
important omega-3 source as opposed to the parent omega-3
(alpha linolenic acid) found in flax, perilla and elsewhere."

Subsenquent to this Tom supplements with:

Pure borage oil capsule for my GLA source: 1 at lunch

1 softgel contains: Borage (Borago officinalis) seed oil 1300
mg supplying gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) 300 mg

and:

Twinlab SuperMax EPA on days fish is not eaten: 15 ml daily

1 tablespoon contains: EPA 1000 mg DHA 670 mg

[Ericam2]

>Also, because of the processing damage, contamination, and
>toxicity, one should avoid supplementation with borage and
>fish oils.

So are you saying we shouldn't take borage or fish oils? How
should we get oour Omega 6 and 3's then?

Erica MM

[Chronos]

Corn oils and beef provide you with more Omega 6 than the
body needs. When you look for Omega 3, whether from seeds or
fish look for:

EPA 1000 mg DHA 670 mg

Ericam2 wrote:

>>Also, because of the processing damage, contamination, and
>>toxicity, one should avoid supplementation with borage and
>>fish oils.
>>
>
> So are you saying we shouldn't take borage or fish oils? How
> should we get oour Omega 6 and 3's then?
>
>
> Erica MM

[Max Watt]

wstepnio@yahoo.com (Niko) wrote in message
news:<e4efcc4.0208070638.7ad06c13@posting.google.com>...
> Hello all members.
>
> I would like to comment to the statement below regarding
> Toms supplementation with Borage,Fish oil, GLA and Omega-3.
> Anyone’s input and feedback would be appreciated!
>
> Comment: From what I have learned is that the body makes
> conversion to GLA, EPA & DHA given enough starting material
> (ALA & LA); omega-3 blocks conversion of omega-6 to
> arachidonic acid. Also, because of the processing damage,
> contamination, and toxicity, one should avoid
> supplementation with borage and fish oils.
>

As one ages, the necessary enzyme isn't produced in sufficient
quantities to meet your needs. (delta-6 desaturase). This is
why supplementation with forms of omega-3 and omega-6 that
don't need the enzyme are so beneficial.

Further, many factors in the modern diet and life block the
delta-6 desaturase enzyme, including trans-fats (very bad for
other reasons, too), and aspirin. Hence even the young can
benefit, especially from EPA (fish.)

As for contaminants and toxicity, this is a real problem with
fish oils. Some sources are better than others (Twin Labs,
Dale Alexander... they test for pollutants, and are very
careful as to the source of the fish used.) Rancidity is
another, less recognized problem that occurs from poor storage
practices. Break open a capsule and smell it. If it's rancid,
you'll know. Throw out the whole batch. It should only have a
very faint odor, like the sea, not a ripe fishy smell. One
should refrigerate one's capsules after purchase, too.

If one is eating dark-fleshed, cold-water fish three times a
week, (tuna, salmon if properly raised, sardines, herring, et
al.) EPA supplementation is probably not needed for younger
people; for those over 50, this is less likely to be true. I
like fish, but find it hard to eat it that often. Other
sources of EPA include wild game. Wild venison contains about
6% EPA, farm-raised about 2%. Even farm raised ostrich runs up
to 6% EPA. Buffalo is similar to venison in its profile. Not
commonly found on most menues or in your corner grocery, I'm
afraid. Free range beef and chicken can contain significan but
inconsistent amounts of EPA.

There are no vegetable sources of EPA. It has been suggested
that steatic acid is an alternative, it occurs in black
currant and rasberry seeds, and possibly in purslane, but I
can't vouch for the validity of the claim. Purslane, a kind of
portulacca is easy to grow and very rich in omega-3. It's
coming up as a weed between the bricks in my patio. If only my
wife hadn't sprayed it with Roundup.

Contaminants in GLA extracted from borage or primrose is much
less of a problem. First, most GLA is hexane extracted, and
some of the less volatile hydrocarbons from the solvent might
linger in the oil, and possibly be carcinogenic. The amounts
would be quite low. If you use commercial cooking oil, you are
already getting a lot more of this than you'll get from a
supplement. There are other extraction methods that don't use
solvents, which would be preferable. Again, Twin Lab (among
others) claim to follow good practices here. The other
possible contaminants, from insecticides and or fertilizer, is
less of a problem (the amounts are small, and the dose makes
the poison) and there are organicly grown sources.
(Incidently, borage leaves and flowers are quite tasty in a
salad, and the plant is easy to grow.)

In short, I don't see a problem with EPA/GLA
supplementation if intelligently done, and the benefits
greatly outweigh any risks.

[Ericam2]

I really need Omega 3 as I have MS and fish helps me walk.
Would Vit E protect me from contamination?

Erica MM

[Matti Nark]

8 Aug 2002 07:23:46 -0700 in article
<870a5d01.0208080623.58544ddc@posting.google.com>
maxwatt2002@yahoo.com (Max Watt) wrote:
>
>As for contaminants and toxicity, this is a real problem with
>fish oils.

Actually, I'm under impression that some of so called
concentrated fish oils, whose omega-3 content is much higher
that in natural fish oil, are processed with a distillation
and purificatiom method, which also removes most of the
contaminants.

--
Matti Narkia