How Much Omega 3 Fatty Acids Are You Getting When You Eat Common Seafoods?

There are several Omega 3 fatty acids.  The two Omega 3 fatty acids you want to consume for your health are:  DHA + EPA.   If you are currently taking fish oil I encourage you to look at your bottle of fish oil and calculate how much total DHA and EPA you are actually consuming.  There are many benefits to consuming the DHA + EPA...click here for information on how Omega 3s slow the aging process(one of the many benefits)!

The American Heart Association recommends 500 mg of DHA + EPA if you do not have heart disease.  If you have heart disease the American Heart Association recommends  consuming 1000 mg of DHA + EPA daily.  Many of my patients eat a variety of fish each week.  However, there are fish that have a high DHA + EPA content like Atlantic Salmon, Atlantic Herring, Tuna Bluefin, Mackerel (canned) with each of these containing 1000 mg of the DHA + EPA or more...... and then there are fish that have a low Omega 3 content (low DHA + EPA content).  These fish include Orange Roughy, Farmed Catfish, Shrimp, Tilapia and Mahi-Mahi.  Each of these contain 120 mg or less of DHA + EPA (your healthy Omega 3s). 

Since there is such a difference in healthy Omega 3 content of common seafoods I thought it would be helpful to post a list of Omega 3 content of these foods.  The listing is in mg of DHA + EPA content in a 3 oz serving.

Higher Omega 3s                     DHA + EPA
Atlantic Salmon, Farmed                 1825
Atlantic Herring                               1712
Atlantic Salmon                               1564
Tuna Bluefin                                    1279
Herring Pickled                                1181
Mackerel (canned)                           1046
Oysters (steamed)                              850
Sardines (canned in oil)                     835

Intermediate Omega 3s           DHA + EPA
Swordfish                                         764
Rainbow Trout, farmed                    744
Tuna, Albacore or White                 
 (canned in water)                             733
Sockeye Salmon                                673
Sea Bass                                            648
Salmon Pink                                      524
Crab Dungeness                                501
Crab King                                          351
Walleye                                             338

Lower Omega 3s                    DHA + EPA
Tuna, Light (canned in water)        230
Halibut                                            200
Northern Lobster (steamed)           165
Scallops (steamed)                         149
Cod                                                 135
Mahi-Mahi                                     118
Tilapia                                            115
Shrimp                                            87
Catfish, farmed                               76
Orange Roughy                               26

This information is taken from the USDA Nutrient Data Base for fish cooked with dry heat unless otherwise noted, and wild unless indicated as farmed.

What Kind Of Omega 3 Supplement Are You Taking?

Did you know that fish oil producers are threatening species that are vital to the health of our oceans?  That’s right the increasing demand for fish oils can be the cause of the killing off of the very fish that clean our ocean waters.

Click here for the complete story by Time Magazine

What makes matters worse is that it is all for nothing!  Calamarine Oil is NOT fish oil but contains the essential omega 3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA we need.  Calamarine oil is derived from several species of deep water squid.  Squid has a short lifespan and they spawn in large numbers allowing for them to multiply quickly.  In addition to having a large supply of squid…these squid are already being caught!  This is the same squid served in restaurants as Calamari.  Therefore, those Omega 3 capsules that are from Calamarine oils…are from the squid that were already being caught for Calamari.  By using Calamarine oils we are not disturbing our ecosystem.

Now that you know where Calamarine oil is from and that it maintains our current ecosystem; how can this help YOUR health and the health of our patients?   Fish Oils and Calamarine oils contain 2 of  the healthiest Omega 3 fatty acids:  EPA and DHA.   Your body needs both; but, the health benefits of each differ.

• DHA is better for your blood pressure
• DHA is better for your vision
• DHA is better for macular degeneration
• DHA is better for Alzheimer’s dementia
• DHA is better for brain health
• DHA is better for maternal-childhood development
• DHA is better for CV prevention

Additionally, DHA is good for one’s general health and for reducing inflammation in the body and for reducing one’s triglycerides. 

And guess what?  Calamarine oil is highest in DHA!
So when you are looking to take Omega 3 fatty acids or recommending them to your patients…recommend them in the form of Calamarine oil!  I take CardioTabs Extra StrengthOmega 3 Oils.  In 2 capsules I get 1200 mg of the DHA + EPA combined (800 mg of which is DHA!) and 600 IU of Vitamin D3.
Help save our oceans and give yourself and your patients a high quality supplement.

References:

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and docosahexaenoic acid on cardiovascular risk factors in humans. Curr Opin Clin
Nutr Metab Care. 2006; 9(2):95-104.

Mori, T.A.; Bao, D.Q. et al. Docosahexaenoic acid but not eicosapentaenoic acid

lowers ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate in humans. Hypertension. 1999;
34(2):253-260.

Mori, T.A.; Watts, G.F. et al. Differential effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and

docosahexaenoic acid on vascular reactivity of the forearm microcirculation in
hyperlipidemic, overweight men. Circulation. 2000; 102(11):1264-1269.

Erkkila, A.T.; Matthan, N.R. et al. Higher plasma docosahexaenoic acid is

associated with reduced progression of coronary atherosclerosis in women with
CAD. J Lipid Res. 2006; 47(12):2814-2819.

Bazan, N.G. Cell survival matters: docosahexaenoic acid signaling, neuroprotection

and photoreceptors. Trends Neurosci. 2006; 29(5):263-271.

Mukherjee, P.K.; Marcheselli, V.L. et al. Neurotrophins enhance retinal pigment
epithelial cell survival through neuroprotectin D1 signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S
A. 2007; 104(32):13152-13157

Schaefer, E.J.; Bongard, V. et al. Plasma phosphatidylcholine docosahexaenoic acid

content and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: the Framingham Heart Study.
Arch Neurol. 2006; 63(11):1545-1550.

Suzuki, H.; Morikawa, Y.; and Takahashi, H. Effect of DHA oil supplementation
on intelligence and visual acuity in the elderly. World Rev Nutr Diet. 2001; 88:68-
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Colombo, J.; Kannass, K.N. et al. Maternal DHA and the development of attention

in infancy and toddlerhood. Child Dev. 2004; 75(4):1254-1267.

Cheruku, S.R.; Montgomery-Downs, H.E. et al. Higher maternal plasma

docosahexaenoic acid during pregnancy is associated with more mature neonatal
sleep-state patterning. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002; 76(3):608-613.

Helland, I.B.; Smith, L. et al. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3
fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children's IQ at 4 years of age.
Pediatrics. 2003; 111(1):e39-

Save the Date...January 26th, 2012

Ever wonder what you should eat?  Ever wonder if you get enough protein?  What are the different kinds of protein?  Ever wonder what foods are carbs and if you are getting too much?  If so this program is Free and is made just for YOU!