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monthly health tip: brought to you by Dr. Jason Miller & Dr. Scott Levin of: Unraveling the Mysterys of Omega 3’s Why everyone should be on Omega-3s As a chiropractor, I’m constantly surprised that some of my new patients have no idea that they should already be on Omega-3 supplements. Most of my new patients, who already know they should take fish oil or Omega 3 supplements, have no idea why. I want them to know that it will help: • Reduce back pain • Help prevent stroke, heart attack, and most cardiovascular disease • Fight inflammatory diseases involving the digestive tract and nerve system • In pregnant women, will increase intelligence and health of their unborn child • And Much MUCH more (ask me for the study) The purpose of this blog is to answer that question…. to unravel the mystery of… 1. What are they? 2. Why EVERYONE should be on Omega 3 supplements? 3. Which should you look for when you purchase them? 4. How much should I take them? Omega 3s are a type of Essential Fatty Acid (EFA).  Essential, meaning we need these fatty acids to survive and function properly.  In this article we are going to look at 2 different types of fatty acids: Omega 3s and Omega 6s. Omega 3s are an anti-inflammatory fats.  ie. They decrease inflammation in our bodies. Omega 6s are a pro-inflammatory fats.  ie They cause inflammation in our bodies. These substances can be found in all types of foods, so let’s discuss the most common sources: • Omega 3’s are found in the meat of wild cold-water fish, certain types of nuts, seeds and berries and some of greens. • Omega 6’s are more common and are found in most grains and certain types of vegetables, especially corn. When eating a natural well-rounded diet, as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did, you should a 1:1 ratio of Omega 3s to Omega 6s in your body.  A 1:1 ratio is a neutral inflammation profile, meaning your diet would not be causing extra inflammation in your body. Inflammation has been linked to cardiovascular disease, digestion tract disease, and back pain, in other words, all the issues you want to avoid. (To be discussed in a future blog) In our industrialized society, it is virtually impossible to eat a natural diet.  Our foods are processed for mass distribution and consumption, so they are made with ingredients that are abundant - to assure product -consistency and inexpensive -- to maximize profits. Corn, a pro-inflammatory Omega 6, is abundant and inexpensive. Therefore, corn is used in almost everything.  If you look on the ingredients list of essentially any type of processed food corn will be listed in some form or another.  Corn oil, cornstarch, corn flour, corn protein, cornhusk, corn silk and of course corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are in everything!!!!  Should I say that one more time… corn is in everything!!!! Not only do we use corn in everything, but we also feed it to everything we eat.  Our cattle, our pigs, our sheep, our chickens, our turkeys, our farm-raised fish are all fed corn because corn is abundant and corn is inexpensive. If we feed our livestock on Omega-6s, they will have an unbalanced fat ratio towards Omega-6 and thus unbalancing all of us. Ideally, our live stock should be out grazing on grass (omega 3), eating other types of wild greens (omega 3),  berries (omega 3), be free to scour the range for wild nuts (Omega 3), wild seeds (Omega 3), eat other wild animals), or swim around eating plankton (Omega 3) and algae (Omega 3). But instead, they are caged and they are all fed the same thing… Corn or similar feed (Omega 6). The result is our livestock, which should either be packed full of Omega 3s or have at least a balanced Omega 3:Omega 6 ratio, are un-naturally teeming with pro-inflammatory Omega 6 and its derivative, an even more powerful pro-inflammatory chemical named Aracadonic Acid. A recent study looked at the Omega 3:Omega 6 ratio of the citizens of Los Angeles county.  That study found that the average person had a 1:26 ratio of Omega 3s to Omega 6s. Keep in mind, at 1:40 fat ratio in our bodies will cause neurological dysfunction. Why? Because every cell in your body has a double layer of fat surrounding it, as a protective barrier that allows nutrients in and wastes out. Do you want every cell in your body made out of something that causes extra-inflammation? As you can see, this study shed light upon why inflammatory diseases are running rampant in our society.  In the last 40 years the incidence of heart disease, Crohn’s disease, IBS, Parkinson’s disease, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, atherosclerosis and dozens of other inflammatory diseases have increased dramatically.  Inflammation in our bodies is out of control, and it is very literally killing us slowly. That is why essentially every single person in our society needs to be on high quality high potency Omega 3 Fatty Acid Supplementation, if they do not want to suffer from an inflammatory disease and increase their mortality rate. I know what you are thinking… and the answer is no… it’s not enough to simply eat more salmon. I here that question all the time, and this is why the answer is no. There is nowhere near enough Omega 3 in salmon to counteract all of the Omega 6 there is in everything else. 2. Salmon is just one source, of one type, of Omega 3, and the body needs all types of Omega 3s in order to function optimally (be healthy). 3. Farm raised salmon is fed corn and is not a source of Omega 3 4. Wild salmon is full of mercury!! (a topic for a whole other blog/article) So it is absolutely necessary to supplement and to remember that quality is the key. Top three things to look for in an Omega 3 supplement • Multiple Sources (Fish Oil, Flax, Walnut, Currant, etc) • High Potency or Pharmaceutical Grade • Molecularly Distilled or Mercury Free Top three things to avoid in an Omega 3 supplement • Blends with Omega 6 and/or Omega 9 • Large Bottles with Small Price tags simply labeled Fish Oil (these will contain mercury) • Enteric Coating (contains Phthalate, a known hormone disruptor) How to take Omega 3s: The idea is to balance your intake of omega 3s with your omega 6s. Usually 3 tablets (1 gram each) per day should be taken and you can take them all at night before you go to sleep. If you get “fish burps” try a brand with lemon oil in it. To make Omega 3s, more effective in your body, you will also need to take the co-factors (vitamins and anti-oxidants) that assist the assimilation process. Be consistent because to change your omega fat ratio will take about 2-3 months to change your body chemistry. To learn more about Omega 3’s and other natural methods to better your health, feel free to contact me! Thanks for reading the PostureWorks True Health blog, if you have any questions, email me at drmiller@posture-works.com or visit posture-works.com by clicking san francisco chiropractor to learn more. Dr. Jason Miller  mailto:drmiller@posture-works.comhttp://posture-works.com%22%20%5Co%20%22Chiropractor%20in%20San%20Francisco%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blankhttp://posture-works.com%22%20%5Co%20%22Chiropractor%20in%20San%20Francisco%22%20%5Ct%20%22_blankfile://localhost/IMG_1138-733.JPGshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2
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