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should i really be taking something for them as a vegan? or is it just the latest scare tactic? im BFing baby so i wanna make sure! thanks!
how importanat are omega 3s really?
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Pretty freakin important...but there are vegan sources. Absolutely take a supplement. I believe (and now I'll have to go look) that chia seeds are a very good source.
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but if they are so important whey have they never been mentioned before? im still sceptical...sorry
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by whom? I have books written in the seventies that discuss them. They are getting talked about more *often* maybe because people are eating crappier and crappier diets and need to be gently reminded
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: IN a healthy diet that is well rounded you will likely get enough. How many people do that though???? Plus pregnancy can deplete your stores as can a damaged gut...
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I've wondered that myself. I mean, I have four intelligent kids (at least one is an actual genius) and we rarely (like, maybe once a month when I think of it) take an omega-3 supplement. I know there are sources other than fish, but only dh & I regularly eat walnuts and only five of us eat tofu, and I'm sure not in the amounts necessary for optimal omega-3 absorption.
I HATE having to think about what we're eating!
I HATE having to think about what we're eating!
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according to Martek , Ross Pediatrics and other and other bigpharma DHA compaines, it is VERY important
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seriously, balance your fats ( more good than bad, like fried, etc) and that is a great start.
seriously, balance your fats ( more good than bad, like fried, etc) and that is a great start.
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exactly!!
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that whats im thinking
we dont eat that much fried or anythign and only eat olive oil excpet for baking then its canola(to avoid the soy)
Originally Posted by KeysMama according to Martek , Ross Pediatrics and other and other bigpharma DHA compaines, it is VERY important
seriously, balance your fats ( more good than bad, like fried, etc) and that is a great start. |
we dont eat that much fried or anythign and only eat olive oil excpet for baking then its canola(to avoid the soy)
I think that one of the main reasons it's "important" to take them now is that people used to eat tons of grass-fed beef and wild fish all the time. Now "we" eat feed-lot grain and blood fed beef and farmed fish much less. People also used to eate more veggies and nuts.
As someone whose horrific eczema was cured by introducing omega-6s into my diet, I'm a big proponent of them. Of course big pharma wants you to take them because once they found out that people should, they began to make them and sell them. That doesn't mean that they aren't necessary.
There are numerous brands and means of getting them into your diet.
As someone whose horrific eczema was cured by introducing omega-6s into my diet, I'm a big proponent of them. Of course big pharma wants you to take them because once they found out that people should, they began to make them and sell them. That doesn't mean that they aren't necessary.
There are numerous brands and means of getting them into your diet.
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If it is soooo important that humans eat fish for proper nutrition, then how did any cultures ever develop in land-locked countries?
I have never even tasted fish, yet I somehow managed to graduate from a top university.
Originally Posted by counterGOPI but if they are so important whey have they never been mentioned before? im still sceptical...sorry
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If it is soooo important that humans eat fish for proper nutrition, then how did any cultures ever develop in land-locked countries?
I have never even tasted fish, yet I somehow managed to graduate from a top university.
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confused...who said you have to eat fish? They are found in nuts, seeds and algae in abundance. You can also get oils...flax, evening primrose, borage etc if you don't eat alot of nuts and seeds. Again, it's about eating a good diet. They are very important and the reason you are hearing about them from formula companies is because formula (which is far inferior to breastmilk) never used to contain them. THey improved thier product by getting it one step closer to the real thing and feel the need to alert everyone. Doesn't mean that they aren't important or that it's only propaganda...just that mamas who breastfeed don't need to worry because as long as they're in your diet they're in your milk.
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What people, when? we've spent 99% of our evolutionary history as gathering-hunting creatures, eating primarily plant foods with meat as an occasional supplement.
I did read an article that reported a lower level of omega-3 in breastmilk of vegans. The researchers did not comment on how that finding should be interpreted, however. I don't remember where the article was but if you do a search on Melina Davis vegan diet or something like that it will come up.
A source that not many people know of is pumpkinseed oil. Rapunzel has it. I find it much tastier than flax oil.
Originally Posted by PikkuMyy I think that one of the main reasons it's "important" to take them now is that people used to eat tons of grass-fed beef and wild fish all the time. |
I did read an article that reported a lower level of omega-3 in breastmilk of vegans. The researchers did not comment on how that finding should be interpreted, however. I don't remember where the article was but if you do a search on Melina Davis vegan diet or something like that it will come up.
A source that not many people know of is pumpkinseed oil. Rapunzel has it. I find it much tastier than flax oil.
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Important for brain development...baby's brain is growing fast!
We get ours from flax seed (pulverized in smoothies), walnuts and tofu.
We get ours from flax seed (pulverized in smoothies), walnuts and tofu.
I think they're very important. Omega 3 is important for brain development, which as someone mentioned earlier is why DHA and whatnot are now being added to formula milks. Omega 6 is important too. It is converted into a prostoglandin type substance in the body, and is essential in helping maintain blood pressure, water balance and insulin levels in the body. And tons of other stuff. Maybe I'm just a freak, but I find it a really fascinating subject!
A mixture of half flax seeds (think they are also known as linseeds?) mixed with another half made up with pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds can supply all the omegas you need. (Grind them up and sprinkle a tablespoon or two onto your breakfast cereal or into a smoothie) I attended a talk by a nutritionist several months ago, apparently omega 3 and 6 need to be taken in certain quantities and one is pretty much useless without the other.
An interesting piece of info: Japanese people have 3 times the amount of omega fats in their bodies than the average American because of their higher intake of fish and seaweeds. Vegans who eat lots of nuts and seeds in their diets have twice the omega levels of the average American.
Oh, and the nutritionist advised people not to rely on fish for their omega 3 intake. She said most fish nowadays are from polluted waters.
A mixture of half flax seeds (think they are also known as linseeds?) mixed with another half made up with pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds can supply all the omegas you need. (Grind them up and sprinkle a tablespoon or two onto your breakfast cereal or into a smoothie) I attended a talk by a nutritionist several months ago, apparently omega 3 and 6 need to be taken in certain quantities and one is pretty much useless without the other.
An interesting piece of info: Japanese people have 3 times the amount of omega fats in their bodies than the average American because of their higher intake of fish and seaweeds. Vegans who eat lots of nuts and seeds in their diets have twice the omega levels of the average American.
Oh, and the nutritionist advised people not to rely on fish for their omega 3 intake. She said most fish nowadays are from polluted waters.
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even so-called wild fish
Originally Posted by sarah0404 Oh, and the nutritionist advised people not to rely on fish for their omega 3 intake. She said most fish nowadays are from polluted waters. |
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wow thats really fascinating! thanks. i eat lots of nuts as it is so maybe we are ok afterall
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Absolutely true. They need to be in a 1:1 ration or else they can be considered to be disease promoting. The ratio in a conventional egg can be as high as 1:21. So it is important to understand that if you are relying on animal products for your omegas they need to be eating their natural diet for you to get the benefits. Farmed fish, cattle, pork, chickens etc. will not have what you are looking for. Your only hope is grass fed beef (with no grain) wild caught fish, pastured chickens and eggs etc. And the pollution factor is there regardless.
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Don't be too confident, the "wild /organic/ natural market" is very corrupt! (Horizon is a great example too)..As demand increases so will the fraud. This hit our local papers this weekend:
According to the Superseding Indictment filed in federal court and other court filings, it is alleged that between May 2002 and April 2005, the defendants engaged in a scheme to intentionally mislabel certain frozen farm raised catfish fillets, .. to sell the frozen catfish fillets as wild caught grouper in the American and Canadian commercial seafood markets. The scheme involved imports totaling over a million pounds of catfish labeled as grouper, channa, snakehead or bass.
But I agree, at the very least, we can decrease our "bad fats" and increase the healthy ones.
Originally Posted by firefaery Your only hope is grass fed beef (with no grain) wild caught fish, pastured chickens and eggs etc. |
According to the Superseding Indictment filed in federal court and other court filings, it is alleged that between May 2002 and April 2005, the defendants engaged in a scheme to intentionally mislabel certain frozen farm raised catfish fillets, .. to sell the frozen catfish fillets as wild caught grouper in the American and Canadian commercial seafood markets. The scheme involved imports totaling over a million pounds of catfish labeled as grouper, channa, snakehead or bass.
But I agree, at the very least, we can decrease our "bad fats" and increase the healthy ones.
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oh so sad...yet true. All the more reason to avoid them completely.
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