Tag Archives: Essential Fatty Acids

“Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia”

The importance of Essential Fatty Acids “E.F.A.’s”should not be taken lightly.

Many of you may have heard E.F.A.’s referred to as Fish Oil or Omega-3’s.   Regardless of what you call them, the word “Essential” is no joke. E.F.A.’s support healthy function of the cardiovascular, immune, skeletal, gastrointestinal and cognitive systems to name just a few.

Essential Fatty Acids may be derived from many whole foods including cold water fish.  The “Oceans 3” line from Garden of Life is high quality and is the only brand that also contains the powerful antioxidant’s Astaxanthin and Fucoxanthin.  Regardless of the brand, look for cold pressed oil from small fish such as; Anchovies, Sardines or Krill.  Small fish have a lower Mercury content than larger species such as Salmon, Mackerel and Tuna.

With the recent oil spill tragedy in the Atlantic ocean I feel obligated to consume sustainable, vegan resources for many of the nutritional elements we rely on the ocean for.   E.F.A.’s are also found in Olive Oil, Raw Walnuts,

The Flax Plant

ground Flaxseeds and Chia Seeds.  Yes, Chia seeds, as in the 1980’s “Chia Pet”.  Both Chia and Flax seeds are Gluten free and provide about 20% of  the recommended daily amount of  dietary  fiber. Sprinkle Chia or Flax seeds on yogurt, fruit, cereal, and salads. You can also bake with them or add them to smoothies.

The chart below is comparison based off of information I took directly off of the following products:

  1. “Spectrum”, cold milled, organic ground Flaxseed (15 ounce bag approximately $8.00)
  2. “Ultimate Chia Life”, 100% premium Chia Seed (12 ounce bag between $12.00 and $15.00)
  3. “Garden of Life, Oceans 3, Beyond Omega 3” (softgels approximately $24.00)
Product Ocean’s 3 Chia Seeds Flax Seeds
Serving Size 2 soft gels 1 Tablespoon 2 Tablespoons
Omega 3 450 mg 2,375 mg 2.7 grams
Omega 6 675 mg 875 mg .8 grams
Omega 9 150 mg 290 mg 1 gram
Dietary Fiber Zero 5 grams (20 % RDA) 4 grams (16 % RDA)