Where Do Healthy Omega Fatty Acids Come From?

When asked where healthy omega fatty acids come from, 65 percent of respondents chose fish, 27 percent didn't know, and only 17 percent identified vegetarian sources, such as flax seed.

14/07/06 According to an April 2006 survey performed by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), consumers are confused about which foods provide omega fatty acids. When asked where healthy omega fatty acids come from, 65 percent of respondents chose fish, 27 percent didn't know, and only 17 percent identified vegetarian sources, such as flax seed. What is a non-fish eating consumer seeking omegas in their diet to do?

The answer is to choose vegetarian, plant-based sources. Udo's 3-6-9 Oil Blend, derived from flax and other organic plant oils, fills the gap for practitioners of a true vegetarian diet. When choosing between omega sources, one should consider both health and sustainability ramifications.

The flax oil in Udo's Choice oils is derived from pressing premium quality organic seeds, whereas modern fish oils are made by, well, pressing fish. Consider these two factors:

-- Over-fishing: According to a Food and Agriculture Organization estimate, more than 70 percent of the world's fish species are either fully exploited or depleted and the rate of fishery depletion has increased more than four-fold in the last 40 years.

-- Mercury Contamination: As stated in a Mayo Clinic fact sheet, mercury is the major contaminant found in fish, and some types of fish may also contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and other chemical pollutants.

Udo's 3-6-9 Oil Blend is minimally processed and made by pressing organic flax and other healthy plant-based oils, filtering the oil to remove sediment, and bottling the result. In contrast, fish oil must go through a far more complicated process which may include the use of harsh chemicals.

-- Processing: The use of sodium hydroxide, phosphoric acid, bleaching, deodorization and high temperature processing common to refined cooking and fish oils can reduce the healthfulness of the oils.

Udo's 3-6-9 Oil Blend is a proprietary blend of nine vegetarian ingredients and was formulated by Udo Erasmus, Ph.D. in Nutrition and author of the best-selling book Fats that Heal Fats that Kill. Udo's Choice product quality standards include:

-- Sourcing the highest quality certified organic flax seed for processing, which includes turning away 80 percent of the flax samples received because they fail to meet strict standards

-- Packaging only in glass to avoid potential leaching from plastic bottles

-- Packaging the glass bottle in a box, to avoid any breakdown in the quality of the oil due to light

-- Cold-shipping to ensure the freshness and integrity of the oil