Fwd: [Childbearingyears_news] Flaxseed Oil Does Not Increase Essential DHA in Breast Milk

[Guest guest]

THis is for lactation Moms, but I'm sure the regular

population can be included to a certain degree. Very

interesting...And Flax was brought up recently anyway.

I think the Dr's comment at the end is a benefit to

read as well.

Warmly,

Allison

 

> Flaxseed Oil Does Not Increase Essential DHA in

> Breast Milk

>

> Human breast milk is made up of fifty percent fat, a

> necessary component to

> the growth of the newborn baby. The fat contains

> omega-3 and omega-6

> essential fatty acids that facilitate the

> development of the brain, retina

> and other organs. These fatty acids in human milk

> come from three sources,

> body stores of fatty acids, synthesis of fatty acids

> by the liver or breast

> tissue and the diet.

>

> Omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, are particularly

> important because they

> play a major role in the development of the

> newborn's brain and retina. The

> make up of fatty acid in breast milk is a reflection

> of the type of dietary

> fat consumed by the mother both short and long term.

> For example, women who

> took fish oil supplements, rich in DHA, for one to

> four weeks were found to

> have increased levels of DHA in their breast milk.

> Comparatively, women who

> eat fish on a regular basis have higher quantities

> of DHA in breast milk

> than those who do not.

>

> Flaxseed oil is a source of another fatty acid, ALA,

> the precursor fatty

> acid in the synthetic steps that result in DHA,

> however studies have shown

> that humans convert very little ALA from flax to EPA

> or DHA. One study found

> that in the conversion of ALA to DHA, only .05

> percent of ALA was available

> for synthesis of DHA.

>

> In one recent study, participants were given 15,000

> mg flaxseed oil daily

> for 12 weeks. Quantities of EPA, DPA, DHA or total

> omega-3 fatty acids did

> not increase in plasma or erythrocytes. Moreover,

> after the flaxseed oil

> supplementation was stopped, ALA concentrations in

> the blood and breast milk

> had reverted to the original concentrations.

>

> Therefore, the study indicates that flaxseed oil is

> not an ideal source of

> fatty acids for breast-feeding mothers.

>

> American Journal Clinical Nutrition January 2003 77:

> 226-233

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

>

>

> It is clear that DHA, not ALA from flaxseed, is the

> key fatty acid in

> optimizing development of the newborn child's brain.

> It is important to

> remember that approximately 60 percent of the human

> brain is composed of

> fatty material -- and 25 percent of that material is

> DHA.

>

>

> Some people will seek to use flaxseed oil to

> increase their DHA content, but

> as the above study shows this will not work. Despite

> receiving 15,000 mg of

> flaxseed oil for three months, the important omega-3

> fat, DHA, was not

> produced in breast milk.

>

>

> Always remember omega-3 fats are essential to your,

> and your children's,

> health. The best source for omega-3 is fish oil and

> cod liver oil, as,

> unlike other sources such as walnuts or flax seeds,

> it is high in two fatty

> acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These

> two fatty acids are

> pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and

> many other diseases. The

> human brain is also highly dependent on DHA - low

> DHA levels have been

> linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss,

> and a higher risk of

> developing Alzheimer's.

>

> When choosing your fish oil or cod liver oil, it is

> important to remember

> that not all brands are the same. In my research --

> and in my clinical

> experience with my patients -- I have found that 1)

> the liquid form is

> superior to capsules; 2) that certain brands

> definitely seem inferior to

> others; 3) that the Carlson's brand of fish oil/cod

> liver oil is of an

> exceptional quality and purity. It is likely not the

> only brand in the world

> of such high quality, but up to this point it is the

> only one of such

> quality that I can recommend, so I now offer the

> Carlson's fish oil and cod

> liver oil on Mercola.com; you can also check your

> local health food store to

> see if they carry it.

>

> As for fish itself, patients consuming nearly every

> type of fish these days

> are showing high levels of mercury in their systems.

> In short -- and sadly,

> as it would otherwise be one of the healthiest meats

> on the planet -- I now

> advise against consuming any fish from any source,

> including fresh water,

> farm-raised or ocean, because most are contaminated

> with mercury. If you do

> consume fish, you should be certain the provider can

> demonstrate that the

> fish are free of detectable levels of mercury and

> other toxins (Carlson's

> fish oil/cod liver oil has been entirely purified so

> you don't have to worry

> about these toxins.)

>

> So what is the difference between fish oil and cod

> liver oil? In short, fish

> oil should be consumed in warm weather months and

> warm climates, while cod

> liver oil should be consumed in cool weather months

> and cool climates. Cod

> liver oil is high in vitamin D (and vitamin A);

> those in cool weather

> climates do not generally get enough vitamin D.

> However, in warm weather,

> their vitamin D is usually sufficient, as sunshine

> is one of the primary

> methods of obtaining this vitamin; if you consume

> too much vitamin D in

> these warm weather months, you do risk overdosing.

>

> A reasonable dose for both fish oil and cod liver

> oil is one teaspoon for

> every 50 pounds of body weight daily.

>

> Generally, our diets contain not only far too little

> omega-3, but far too

> many omega-6 fats. Experts looking at the dietary

> ratio of omega-6 to

> omega-3 fatty acids suggest that in early human

> history the ratio was about

> 1:1. Currently most Americans eat a dietary ratio

> that falls between 20:1

> and 50:1. The optimal ratio is most likely closer to

> the original ratio of

> 1:1. For most of us this means not only increasing

> our omega-3 intake

> through fish oil, but also greatly reducing the

> omega-6 fatty acids we

> consume.

>

> Please recognize that we get ALL the omega-6 (and

> omega-9) fat we need from

> food. We do NOT need to take any supplements for

> these fats. Many of the

> omega fat supplements you see in health food stores

> will only serve to

> worsen your health, not improve it, as they contain

> omega-6 fats that will

> only worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

>

> I strongly recommend avoiding sunflower, corn, soy,

> safflower, and canola

> oil, and products that contain these oils. This also

> means no hydrogenated

> or partially hydrogenated fats, no margarine, no

> vegetable oil and no

> shortening. These oils are full of omega-6 fats and

> will only worsen your

> omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

>

> Acceptable oils include high-quality extra virgin

> olive oil, coconut oil,

> avocados and organic butter... or better yet,

> grass-fed organic butter.

>

> Another way to improve your omega 6:3 ratio is to

> change the type of meat

> you are eating. Since I can't recommend fish due to

> their high levels of

> mercury and other toxins these days, the best meats

> are those raised

> primarily or entirely on grass diets. Nearly all

> cattle found in grocery

> stores and restaurants are grain-fed before

> slaughter, so if you eat this

> type of beef, it will typically worsen you omega

> 6:omega 3 ratio. Though it

> may sound unusual to some, two of the best meats on

> the planet -- in terms

> of nutrition value and their incredible taste -- are

> bison and ostrich. And

> on Mercola.com, I offer bison meat and our exclusive

> omega-3-rich ostrich

> meat, both of which are free-ranged, fed primarily

> grass/alfalfa diets, and

> contain no antibiotics or steroids. Whether from my

> site or elsewhere, I

> urge you to try bison and ostrich.

>

> You can also consume a more " gamey " meat like

> venison, or try grass-fed

> beef, which I also highly recommend on Mercola.com.

> The grass-fed beef I

> recommend is even higher in omega-3 than fish, with

> a 6:3 ratio of 0.16 to 1

> (this information is from a study done at Iowa State

> University in August

> 2001). It is still hard to find in grocery stores,

> however, and unlike bison

> and ostrich -- which both taste like prime beef --

> some find the taste of

> grass-fed beef too lean.

>

> On a side-note, you should be cautious of stores

> advertising grass-fed beef

> that really isn't true grass-fed. ALL cattle are

> grass-fed to some small

> extent, but the key is what they are fed the months

> prior to being

> processed. Most all cattle are shipped to giant feed

> lots and fed corn to

> fatten them up. Your best bet is to call the person

> who actually grew the

> beef, NOT the store manager, to find out the truth.

> Another effective way to

> determine if the meat is really from a grass-fed

> animal is to purchase the

> ground beef and slowly cook it until it's done, then

> drain and collect all

> the fat. Grass-fed beef will contain a relatively

> small amount of such fat

> compared to traditionally prepared ground beef

> (which is why some find the

> taste of grass-fed too lean!)

>

> In summary:

>

> 1) Most Americans, young and old, are highly

> deficient in omega-3, and one

> of the best things you can do for yourself and your

> children is routinely

> consume fish oil in warm months and cod liver oil in

> cool months, as they

> are high in the best kind of omega-3.

>

> 2) You should cut out or reduce the oils and foods

> high in omega-6 fats,

> as Americans get far too much of them. This includes

> corn, sunflower, soy,

> canola and safflower oil, margarine, vegetable oil

> and shortening.

>

> 3) You should eat healthy meats, as store-bought

> beef and other common

> meats can worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

> Bison and ostrich are two

> great-tasting and very healthy choices, and game

> animals or beef that is

> truly grass-fed are other good options.

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

, Allison Nations

<allyanne2001> wrote:

Very

> interesting...And Flax was brought up recently anyway.

> I think the Dr's comment at the end is a benefit to

> read as well.

> Warmly,

> Allison

>

> > Flaxseed Oil Does Not Increase Essential DHA in

> > Breast Milk

> >

 

ok... but does it work to increase the 3:6 ratio in the primary

ingester? I guess I'm pretty screwed if the only thing to do about

this is to eat some dead animal and avoid soy products?!!?

(ok. the rant is over... nothing personal, but that doctor certainly

wasn't sensitive to my needs, was he?)

-dawn

[Guest guest]

and I thought of something else: many things are not expressed in

breastmilk... Some birthcontrol pills (the first and best example to

pop into my head) are not advised during breastfeeding, while some

are acceptable and even marketed to be safe, since the

hormones/chemicals are not expressed in the milk... but the mother

still receives the full benefit of them!

Any ideas ?

-dawn

[Guest guest]

Here's the source for DHA that I use.

 

" Neuromins " (made from algae) are a dietary supplement for the brain by

" Source Naturals. " It's in a 200 mg softgel, which may not be vegan,

although one type of softgel is vegan. You can buy them at www.iHerb.com

for $10 (120 capsules) a bottle. Also, the bottle says the DHA is

transferred directly to a fetus and is present in breatmilk. I hope this

helps.

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

 

dawn <skgpeace [skgpeace]

Thursday, January 09, 2003 5:58 PM

 

Re: Fwd: [Childbearingyears_news] Flaxseed Oil

Does Not Increase Essential DHA in Breast Milk

 

 

, Allison Nations

<allyanne2001> wrote:

Very

> interesting...And Flax was brought up recently anyway.

> I think the Dr's comment at the end is a benefit to

> read as well.

> Warmly,

> Allison

>

> > Flaxseed Oil Does Not Increase Essential DHA in

> > Breast Milk

> >

 

ok... but does it work to increase the 3:6 ratio in the primary

ingester? I guess I'm pretty screwed if the only thing to do about

this is to eat some dead animal and avoid soy products?!!?

(ok. the rant is over... nothing personal, but that doctor certainly

wasn't sensitive to my needs, was he?)

-dawn