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More on Flax (and alpha linolenic acid)

Yesterday I wrote about the differences between fish oil and flaxseed oil (or more specifically the difference between EPA/DHA and ALA).  I wanted to add one more  note about alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).  I commonly get emails from people that state that they don’t supplement with fish oil but instead supplement with flaxseed oil capsules.  As you know from my previous entry exchanging fish oil for flax is not an equal trade.  It is also very important to realized that these people are wasting a tremendous amount of money.  When supplementing your diet with fats capsules are by far the most expensive way to go (because you have to pay for the capsules and the fatty acids).  ALA is also readily oxidized (e.g. burned, turned into, etc) to energy.  Studies have shown that up to 35% of ALA is immediately oxidized for energy – that’s expensive energy!   Adding flaxseed oil and ALA to your diet is a wise choice just don’t use the capsules as it is NOT a very cost effective approach.

If you are looking for the most cost effective supplement approach available check out Your Naked Nutrition Guide as I have a whole chapter on exactly what supplements you need depending on your goals.

Fish Oil vs. Flaxseed Oil

Last week the question came up about the difference between fish oil and flaxseed oil.  First here are some basics.  The “money” fatty acids in fish oil are EPA/DHA; these are long chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids.  Flaxseed oil contains the short chain n-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).  While these three fatty acids may seem similar because they are all n-3 fatty acids but in fact they function very differently physiologically.

One cannot apply findings such as weight loss, triglyceride lowering, protection from sudden death, improvements in joint function seen with fish oil supplementation to flaxseed or ALA supplementation (or just increased intake).  Many will argue (especially those that sell flaxseed oil and flaxseed oil supplements) that ALA can be converted to EPA and then DHA via elongation and desaturation.  However this conversion is EXTREMELY poor, especially in men (estimated by some to be as low as 1-2%).  The bad news is that the conversion gets even worse the older you get.

ALA does have unique and beneficial effects as well so consuming both EPA/DHA and ALA is recommended.  Three good sources of ALA are walnuts, flaxseed/flaxseed oil, and canola oil.  Flaxseed oil does not have a pleasant taste so a great option is garlic-chili infused flaxseed oil.  It is awesome on salads.   You also do not want to heat or cook with flaxseed oil because it is very prone to oxidation.

The Best Salsa

Salsa is an awesome food. Spicy, colorful, loaded with vegetables and herbs, plus it can go on just about everything. Half a cup of salsa only yields about 9 grams of carbohydrates as well. So it is a great source of low impact nutrient rich carbohydrates. When you go to the store you will notice that there are tons of salsas to choose from. There is also quite a range in pricing. Which salsa should you buy?

Men’s Fitness magazine rated Emeril’s Original recipe Salsa as their number one choice. I’ve never tried this salsa so I can’t add my person opinion here. I do know that Emeril’s line of foods is notorious for having lots of added sugar (usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup). I hope they didn’t add any sugar here.

Men’s Health magazine rated Walnut Acres Midnight Sun as their number one salsa choice. Again, I haven’t tried this salsa but MH is usually pretty good with these types of recommendations.

I recommend Green Mountain Gringo salsa. The reason I haven’t tried any of the other salsas mentioned is because I’m hooked on Green Mountain Gringo. This salsa is made by a small company in Vermont. You’re probably wondering how a salsa made by a bunch of gringos in Vermont could be any good…but it is! Green Mountain Gringo is the freshest tasting salsa you can buy. Yeah it is on the pricey side but it is well worth it.

If you have a favorite salsa, then post your comments below or shoot me an email. I’d love to hear from you.

The Strangest Study Ever

A friend of mine just sent me an abstract for the strangest study ever.  Mechanical horse riding for improved insulin sensitivity!  I can see the infomercials now….

Mechanical horseback riding improves insulin sensitivity in elder diabetic patients

Masakazu Kubotaa, Masaru Nagasakib, Mizuho Tokudomec, Youichi Shinomiyad, Takahisa Ozawad and Yuzo Satob,

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to analyze the acute and chronic effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity in elder diabetic patients using a horseback riding therapeutic equipment (Joba^®). The acute effects of exercise were examined by means of a single session of Joba^® riding that lasted for 30 min. The average glucose infusion rates (GIR) before and during exercise were regarded as an index of the insulin action in peripheral tissues by the euglycemic clamp. The chronic effects of exercise were studied by training the elder diabetic patients for 12 weeks using the Joba^® apparatus. The insulin sensitivity was determined pre- and post-training by a 90 min euglycemic clamp. In the acute study, average GIR during exercise was significantly higher than pre-exercise (7.8 ± 0.4 versus 5.2 ± 0.3 mg kg^?1 min^?1, P < 0.01) and average GIR during recovery decreased to almost the same levels of pre-exercise (5.0 ± 0.4 mg kg^?1 min^?1; P < 0.01). The 12-week training resulted in a significant increase in the steady-state GIR (from 5.2 ± 0.3 to 7.4 ± 0.8 mg kg^?1 min^?1; P < 0.05). The steady-state GIR after 12 weeks of detraining returned to pre-training levels (5.3 ± 0.5 mg kg^?1 min^?1; P < 0.05). In elder diabetic patients, mechanical horseback riding enhances the insulin-induced glucose uptake.

Low Fat Diet Farce Part II

Today’s entry is a continuation of yesterday’s post so go here to read the first part if you haven’t already.

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In all this low fat craziness did anyone actually look at the governments recommendations? Or did we just look at what the food labels were saying? The answer to this one is no. Do you know how I know? Because in 1992 when the U.S Government released the Food Guide Pyramid the cover of the booklet they created said “Limit Fat to 30% of Calories.”

Limit fat to 30% of calories???

That doesn’t sound like low fat to me. You? That sounds like moderate fat if anything. That sounds like the fat intake that I recommend to people in Your Naked Nutrition Guide. The message was to reduce your fat intake to 30% of calories because the average American was taking in between 30-40% of their calories from fat. So who was really pushing the low fat diet and all those low fat diet foods?? The same people that are now insisting that you eat their crackers because they contain “healthy fats.” I’m talking about the food industry. Not the USDA.

Don’t you feel kind of taken advantage of?

There is a very good lesson here. When someone uses a qualitative term like “low” or “high” to describe a nutrient intake, find out what they really mean. “High Protein” to some people is 25% of calories. To me that’s low-moderate. Low fat do someone like Dean Ornish is <10% of calories. Low fat as defined by the Women’s Health Initiative was 20% of total calories.  It is always different depending on who you ask.

In regards to fat. Have some at just about every meal. Eat a variety of fats all of them in moderation. A major focus is on reducing saturated fat but too much monounsaturated fat is also potentially detrimental to your health.

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