Posted by Viridis on April 5, 2003, at 16:03:30
In reply to Re: Another fish oil question!, posted by Larry Hoover on April 5, 2003, at 11:25:39
Hi Larry,
Thanks very much, and sorry for making my question so open-ended. I guess what I'd really like to know in sorting through all of this are the relative utilities of the various unsaturated fats and the functional differences between omega 3s vs. omega 6s. Not that that's a simple question either, but here's my current approach:
I have a fairly low intake of saturated fats, but don't really worry about them (e.g., I'll use butter over margarine any day). I avoid artificially hydrogenated oils as much as possible and am pretty alert to where they're used. In cooking, we use mostly monounsaturates (primarily olive oil, some peanut), and occasionally canola. I take fairly high doses of fish oil, with an intake of around 1.2 g EPA and 1 g DHA/day.
Now, I think all of this is pretty sensible. Where I really get confused is with the multitude of other oils that are touted for their health benefits. I use various oils (hemp, walnut, grapeseed etc.) as flavorings, in salad dressings, and so on, and I assume that adding this variety has some benefits. But what about additional supplementation with flaxseed, borage, evening primrose, etc. -- is there anything special about these that "rounds out" the range of lipids that your body needs, or do I have it pretty much covered anyway?
And, finally, just what is the significance of the position of the C=C bonds -- why is it their precise location apparently so important?
I guess I've still left you with a huge amount of material that potentially could be covered, but I'd appreciate your insights into the above.
Thanks again,
Viridis
poster:Viridis
thread:216119
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030402/msgs/216486.html