Do you know your DHA from your EPA? Or your linoleic acid from your linolenic acid? We have all heard about the importance of consuming enough essential fats in our diet, from both a health and a body composition standpoint. But do we really know what we should be looking to consume and why? Well here is the low down on essential fats…

The reason I initially thought this would be a good topic to cover is that there is a general acceptance that consuming EFA supplements and/or consuming plenty of EFA’s through the diet is very important, but the effective ways to supplement and the reasons for it do not always appear so obvious.

The two major families of EFA’s we need to focus on consuming through our diet are linoleic acid (omega 6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3).

Most authorities signify that a balance of between 1:1 and 2:1 Omega 6:Omega 3 is optimal for good health. However, the typical western diet has been shown to have a balance closer to 20:1 in favour of Omega 6! This imbalance has been created largely through the consumption of processed foods as well as a reduced consumption of oily fish. Although you may presume that an excess of omega 6 should not be an issue as long as we still consume adequate omega 3, any omega 3 deficiency is enhanced the further we move from the optimal 1:1 ratio. Therefore, balancing this ratio is more important than consuming any quoted ‘minimum’ amount of each type. Despite this imbalance in favour of omega 6, don’t be misled into thinking that we do not have to worry about consuming enough omega 6 in our diet – much of the omega 6 polyunsaturated fat consumed in a typical western diet has been processed and therefore, become trans fats with a different chemical structure to the original omega 6 fatty acid. Aside from the known issues with consuming trans fats, this also means the typical western diet is deficient in both the omega 3 and the omega 6 fats our body can use. As a physique athlete, presumably consuming too much processed food is not an issue for you, so what are the types of essential fat that we need to focus on?

The body can convert the fatty acids we consume into different forms and fats converted to specific degrees of saturation will be used by the body for a particular function. Omega 6, consumed in the form of linoleic acid from sources such as sunflower, safflower or sesame seeds or oils will be converted by the body into gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). We can also consume GLA directly through supplementation of evening primrose oil. The body utilises GLA by converting it further into both arachidonic acid (also found in meat and milk) which is important for proper brain function and to series 1 prostoglandins, functions of which include lowering of blood pressure, reducing inflammation as well as helping insulin to work effectively.

Omega 3 fats need to be even more closely monitored through our diet as it is these fats that we are more likely to be deficient in. Alpha-linolenic acid which can be found in flaxseed oil does not become metabolically active until it has been converted into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Now this is where the confusion regarding supplementation often occurs. Flaxseed oil is a very good source of alpha-linolenic acid however, only somewhere between 3 and 10 percent of the alpha-linolenic acid consumed through flaxseed will be converted by the body into EPA and DHA. Alpha-linolenic acid is also found in plankton, effectively bottom of the food chain in the sea. Through a series of conversions in carnivorous fish going up the food chain, what started out as alpha-linolenic acid in plankton results in a high level of both EPA and DHA in the oily fish such as Salmon or Mackerel. Therefore, consuming oily fish or a fish oil supplement eliminates the need for this conversion to take place in the body. The EPA and DHA are then converted to series 3 prostoglandins which are essential for proper brain function, controlling blood cholesterol, improving immune function, regulating metabolism and reducing inflammation. 

Flaxseed oil can be used as a supplement to provide our need for both EPA and DHA with the caveat that you will need to consume adequate amounts of it to provide effective amounts of EPA and DHA. 2-3g of fish oil will usually provide 240-400mg (depending on the strength) each of EPA and DHA, whereas approximately 14g of flaxseed oil will need to be consumed to provide similar amounts. This amount of flaxseed oil can be consumed through 1 tbsp of oil, but if you are using softgels, fourteen 1000mg softgels will need to be consumed! It is for this reason, that I always suggest either using actual flaxseed oil or fish oil capsules as your supplement, but never flaxseed oil capsules. Add this to 1000mg of evening primrose oil (providing 100mg GLA) each day and now you have your EFA’s covered. The odd serving of Salmon won’t do any harm either!