Plant-based omegas: Natures Crops International-backed research hails benefits of Ahiflower oil

05 Dec 2023 --- A brain lipid research team suggests dietary Ahiflower (Buglossoides arvensis) oil may be a valuable plant-based source to maintain tissue docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) turnover comparable to dietary DHA. New research determined that Ahiflower oil is as efficient as purified marine-based DHA in developing DHA in areas such as liver, adipose and brain tissues in mice. 

While dietary Ahiflower oil does not contain DHA, the research indicates it can form DHA in tissues where mammals naturally make, store or deploy DHA from plant-based omega-3s to support critical cell membrane, immune and neurotransmitter functions. 

Nutrition Insight sits down with Andrew Hebard, founder and CEO of Natures Crops International, which produces Ahiflower oil and collaborated in the study. 

“This new research provides critical evidence that Ahiflower oil, by its unique omega-3 SDA (stearidonic acid) composition, performs as effectively as marine DHA in accumulating newly formed DHA in key tissues. As the lead researchers have recognized, it upends what has been accepted as fact about plant-based omega-3 metabolism.” 

“We hope the impact will be a far wider acceptance that incorporating SDA-containing oils into complete and balanced omega nutrition is a highly effective strategy.” 

Hebard adds that measuring circulating blood levels of DHA as the only metric for efficient tissue DHA biosynthesis does not provide an accurate assessment of other ways the body efficiently metabolizes SDA into DHA. 

Study set up 
The study, published in BBA – Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, compared DHA synthesis from Ahiflower, flaxseed and DHA oils. The researchers placed pregnant mice on an algal DHA oil diet, maintaining their pups on the diet until they were nine weeks old. 

Afterward, the team allocated mice to a diet containing Ahiflower, flaxseed or marine DHA oil at realistic human-equivalent intakes and matched for total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content. 

After determining DHA levels in different tissues, the researchers found that DHA concentrations were highest in the liver and adipose of DHA-fed animals with no diet differences in serum or brain. 

DHA processing — measured in half-lives of the compound — synthesis and turnover rates were no different between Ahiflower and DHA diets, while these were significantly lower for flaxseed oil diets. 

Ahiflower oil can help address omega-3 deficiencies without harming marine ecosystems (Image credit: Natures Crops International).Leveraging research outcomes 
Earlier this year, Natures Crops International surveyed leading omega-3 supplement brands to understand what further support the company could provide to encourage a broader uptake of Ahiflower in this space.

“We found that on price, reliability of supply chain, sustainability, regenerative agriculture and sensory perception, we scored very highly. The most significant hurdle was the perception that humans must get label-claimed DHA in their omega-3 supplements,” underscores Hebard. 

“We feel this study can be leveraged to show that while DHA supplementation has clear merit, incorporating Ahiflower oil as part of a more complete and balanced omega-3 solution for brands is a compelling strategy.” 

He explains that the company’s Ahiflower oil is available in an organic acacia fiber powder at a 70% oil loading level from CoreFX.

“This water-soluble, clean sensory and clean label powder format is extremely versatile in various gummy, emulsion and bulk powder blend formats. Ahiflower+DHA oil is also available through our partnership with Algarithm for brands requiring an amount of DHA on packaged product labels.”

Sustainability benefits 
Natures Crops International highlights that Ahiflower oil’s highly available omega-3 SDA content can help overcome a societal challenge to address omega-3 deficiencies without harming marine ecosystems or relying on genetically modified crops. 

According to Hebard, Ahiflower oil can provide a “fully scalable, traceable and climate-resilient source of balanced omegas.”

The study’s authors also indicate that the ongoing shift toward plant-based food choices and the “potentially ecologically disastrous implications of current dietary DHA recommendations,” Ahiflower may offer a critical PUFA source that supports tissue DHA requirements in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

Greg Cumberford, VP of science and regulatory at Natures Crops International and co-author of the study comments: “For many decades, consumers and practitioners have been told that all plant-based omega-3 sources convert ‘inefficiently’ to longer-chain DHA. This new research indicates that the story with Ahiflower oil is more nuanced. Even though dietary Ahiflower oil does not raise DHA levels, it forms liver, adipose and brain DHA quite efficiently in mice.” 

Hebard notes that adding Ahiflower oil in protein powders or plant-based milk could add functional benefits.Multi-omega source 
Hebard explains that existing published human dietary intervention research showed that dietary Ahiflower oil boosts circulating omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) up to four times more efficiently than flaxseed oil. 

Ahiflower oil also resulted in a richer and more diverse range of omega-3 fatty acids — including EPA, eicosatetraenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid — and omega-6 fatty acids — gamma-linolenic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid — collectively known as anti-inflammatory oxylipin precursors. 

Natures Crops International notes that this indicates how Ahiflower oil may act differently than marine or algal EPA/DHA sources in supporting immune, gut-brain axis and gut-microbiome balance in the body. 

Hebard adds that the oil also boosts Interleukin 10 — a small protein or cytokine with potent anti-inflammatory properties — in the cells of the immune system. 

“The latest research findings underscore that healthy adults likely can maintain DHA levels in key tissues like the liver, adipose and the brain — i.e., outside of clear medically-supported intakes of omega-3 DHA during prenatal gestation, early childhood and traumatic brain injury — from Ahiflower oil supplementation,” details Hebard.

Future research and applications 
According to Hebard, Natures Crops International focuses on Ahiflower oil and expanding its application. This is based on physiological science and processing technology in humans and companion animals. 

“Ahiflower seed presents some fascinating and novel characteristics and we expect to see some of those being introduced to commerce in the coming year.”

He details there is room to build on Ahiflower oil’s presence in human and pet animal wellness to expand to products where traditional EPA/DHA oils are not commonly used or present formulation challenges. 

“Examples are protein powders, greens powders, plant-based milk or spreads, snack bars, functional chocolates, squeezable fruits or vegetables and plant-based seafood. Adding Ahiflower oil into these matrices would confer functional benefits and yield key product differentiation in often crowded categories.” 

“Future research in humans and animals — ranging from poultry to honeybees and horses — is currently focusing on translating recently discovered anti-inflammatory post-exercise and immune-supportive activity of dietary Ahiflower oil, in some cases compared to conventional EPA/DHA sources.”

By Jolanda van Hal