The present invention relates generally to nutritional food formulations. More particularly, the invention is directed to nutritional food oil compositions containing essential fatty acids that are important for maintaining good health.
Diet is important in determining general health, performance, energy level and appearance. A healthy diet must include proper amounts of essential nutrients, which are nutrients that are incapable of being synthesized by the body and therefore, must be obtained from the diet. Essential nutrients are different for different animals. Of the approximately forty essential nutrients necessary for humans, fourteen are minerals, fourteen are vitamins, ten are amino acids and two are essential fatty acids.
The two essential fatty acids are: linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid; and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. Linoleic acid is a precursor for the omega-6 series of polyunsaturated fatty acids; from LA, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acids can be formed in the body. Alpha-linolenic acid is a precursor for the omega-3 series of polyunsaturated fatty acids; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are metabolites of ALA that have recently received much acclaim in the public and scientific communities for their health benefits.
Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to a wide variety of beneficial health effects in documented studies and are essential constituents of cells, especially brain cells, nerve cells, retina, adrenal glands, and reproductive cells. Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA and EPA are thought to have health benefits for the heart, skin, immune system, and they help regulate inflammatory diseases, attention deficit disorders and infant development. Some studies suggest benefits in preventing Alzheimer's, dementia, and colorectal cancers.
Over the last 150 years, the level of consumption of omega-3 fatty acids (also referred to as n-3) has decreased to one-sixth the level found in our food supply in the 1850s. In comparison, the level of omega-6 fatty acid (also referred to as n-6) consumption has doubled in that time, drastically changing the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid in our food intake. In the 1930s, the ratio of dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acids was about 8:1, and in 1980's that ratio increased to 12:1. In today's North American diets, polyunsaturated fatty acids contribute approximately 7% of total energy intake and approximately 19-22% of energy intake from fats. These levels are within recommended intakes for both men and women. Linoleic acid (LA; n-6) contributes about 84-89% of total energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids, but only about 9-11% of total polyunsaturated fatty acids energy is derived from ALA (n-3). The highly unsaturated fatty acids—EPA and DHA together—provide less or equal to 0.1-0.2% of energy intake. While the cells in our bodies require both n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, the typical North American diet obtains too much n-6 and far too little n-3.
Further exacerbation of the problem is that most North Americans obtain their n-6 fatty acids from cooking oils, which are derived from seed oils but which have been extensively processed with chemicals and at high temperatures in order to extend the shelf life of the oils. The result is that many beneficial substances found in the natural seed oils, including ALA and LA, are removed or damaged by commercial processing methods. For example, it is common in the food oil industry to treat the seed oils with sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid, bleach the oils using clays to remove color pigments, and to deodorize the oils by heating to temperatures over 200° C. As a result, phytosterols, lecithin, and antioxidants are removed from the oil, and a significant number of the fatty acid molecules are damaged or transformed into toxic molecules such as trans-fats. ALA is particularly susceptible to being damaged by excessive heat. The heavy use of these refined cooking oils in North American diets is attributed to increased risk of cancer, inflammation and cardiovascular disease, and other negative health consequences.
Recognizing the imbalance of the ratio of dietary n-6:n-3 in the average North American diet, health professionals recommend increasing the amounts of n-3 fatty acids in one's diet. Certain grains and fish are the predominant sources of the n-3 fatty acid ALA. Of the grains, flax has the highest amount of ALA (about 60%) but it is low in the n-6 fatty acid LA (about 15%). Oils of fatty fish contain approximately 30% of n-6 fatty acids as LA and approximately 30% n-3 fatty acids in the form of EPA and DHA. However, there exists a significant risk of contamination of these oils by heavy metals and other toxic substances, as has been reported in the health industry recently.
In contrast to fish oils, flaxseed oil from organic sources and when properly extracted is free of contaminants. However, the principle disadvantage to flaxseed oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acids is that if it is taken as the only source of dietary essential fatty acids, it will lead to omega-6 fatty acid deficiency and the body will exhibit the classic symptoms such as dry eyes, irregular heartbeats, joint pain and thin, papery skin. Therefore, it is important that the ratio of n-6:n-3 fatty acid intake in the diet be maintained within certain limits.
The body is able to convert ALA to the other n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, but the conversion of ALA to these other highly unsaturated fatty acids may be somewhat inefficient, and some health professionals have recently recommended augmenting dietary fatty acid intake directly with EPA and particularly with DHA. The prior art teaches that to appreciably boost DHA intake, it will be necessary to increase fish oil consumption since fish oils are the predominant source of this fatty acid.
Of the highly unsaturated fatty acids, DHA is a vital component of the phospholipids of human cellular membranes, especially those in the brain and retina. It is necessary for optimal neural development and visual acuity. Supplemental DHA may have anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating activities. DHA might also be indicated for nursing mothers and women who are pregnant, for individuals with peroxisomal disorders, for individuals with cystic fibrosis, for those with attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, and those individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia (including Alzheimer's disease). Dietary DHA can reduce the level of blood triglycerides, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Low levels of DHA cause reduction of brain serotonin levels and have been associated with ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, and depression, among other diseases, and there is mounting evidence that DHA supplementation may be effective in combating such diseases
With the numerous recommendations by health professionals to increase omega-3 fatty acid intake, to decrease omega-6 fatty acid intake, to supplement omega-3 fatty acid directly with DHA, and the risk of contamination of fatty fish and fish oils with heavy metals and other toxic substances, consumers are likely to be confused as to which fatty acids to consume, in what amounts, and from what sources. Contributing to the confusion are the multiple sources of nutritional food oils in the market place that contain only one form of essential fatty acid or another. Consumers must obtain their dietary fatty acids from multiple sources, which necessitates that they carefully calculate the appropriate dose amounts of the various fatty acid supplements in order to obtain the essential fatty acids in the correct proportions. Accordingly, there is need for a dietary fatty acid oil supplement that contains all of the essential fatty acids and the recommended omega-3 fatty acids in the correct proportions, from sources free of contamination, so that health conscious consumers are able to obtain all of their dietary essential fatty acids from one convenient source.