EFA's How much to we need - Repost for new members

Essential Fatty Acids are important preop AND postop! Someone asked me the other day, just how much/many EFA's do we need in our diet. This is a really difficult question to answer for a few reasons. One reason it's hard to answer is everyone here has different dietary needs - some of us have had proximal RNY's, some have had distal, some are lapband (with normal absorption) and some are DS'ers with an even more different set of cir****tances - and of course we have the preops whose plumbing is 100% normal. Most Westerners don't eat the correct balance of EFA's. There are two essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) and one non-essential that we still need (Omega-9). Typically, the Western diet is over-efficient in Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid) and deficient in Omega-3 (Linolenic Acid) fatty acids and often just BARELY adequate in Omega-9 (Oleic Acid) fatty acids. The proper ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids SHOULD be between 1:1 and 4:1, but many Westerners eat a ratio of between 10:1 and 30:1. The problem with this is these two EFA's fight for existence in our body (simply put). If you have too much O-6, then O-3 is not able to do its job. An imbalance or deficiency can be linked to heart attacks, cancer, insulin resistance, depression, obesity, strokes, ADHD, decreased memory and mental functions, among others. The MINIMUM daily intake for an 'average' adult is 1.5 grams of each per day (although more current studies in the UK suggest that 2 to 6 grams of Omega 3 and 1 to 3 grams of Omega-6 are best). 1 tablespoons of ground flaxseed a day (or 1 teaspoon of quality cold-pressed flax oil) can provide 100% of the 'minimum' required O-3 in a normal person's diet. Although current research is showing that one is better off to get their EFA's in throughout the day, rather than all in one dose. This is why I take my 1-tablespoon of flaxseed each day and throughout the day add other EFA's rich foods to my diet. Remember, as an RNY patient, I malabsorb fats, so by taking the minimum for an average adult, I'm likely not getting the minimum. This is where it gets tricky and why I add further EFA's in smaller amounts from nuts, olives, olive oil, etc. Flax really IS the food that is highest by percentage of natural O-3 oils (53 to 62%) and gives a natural healthy balance between O-3 and O-6. Compare this to soybeans, which are only 7% and tilted too much toward O-3 and not enough O-6. Foods rich in Omega-3 - Flaxseed oil (flaxseed oil has the highest linolenic content of any food), flaxseeds, flaxseed meal, hempseed oil, hempseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, purslane, mustard greens, collards, etc.), canola oil (cold-pressed and unrefined), soybean oil, wheat germ oil, salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, and others. Foods rich in Omega-6 - Since many get too much of this in their diet, it is advised to NOT supplement O-6 or purposely choose foods high in O-6. Some things you can do to reduce the O-6 in your diet is to switch cooking oils. Sunflower oil is VERY high in O-6, so switching to Olive oil (which is low in O-6 and high in O-9) you're making a healthier choice. Nut oils are also better choices than sunflower, corn or canola oils. Foods rich in Omega-9 - Best choice is Olive oil (about 70% oleic acid); Also rapeseed (canola) and nut oils. "olives, avocados, almonds, peanuts, sesame oil, pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. One to two tablespoons of extra virgin or virgin olive oil per day should provide sufficient oleic acid for adults. However, the "time-released" effects of obtaining these nutrients from nuts and other whole foods is thought to be more beneficial than consuming the entire daily amount via a single oil dose." [goodfats.pamrotella.com/] Again, this is a VERY basic and general over-view. I always recommend that people speak with a nutritionist if they want to know exactly how much of any one nutrient they need in their diet, or at the very least do their own research. I don't know YOUR particulars of bypass (if any) or what your daily diet consists of OR what other supplements you may be ingesting. If you wish further links for reading up on EFA's, I'll gladly provide them. Just drop me an email. Hugs and hope this helps, Toots

Thanx for the great info Dame T. Keep re-posting every week for those just coming on. Praise from a fellow nutrition geek- Dx

Thanks Dx. I try and remember but sometimes I forget lol Hugs, Toots

Wow! Thanks for all of that important information. You put a lot of time and effort into keeping us informed. WLS folks have very special nutrition needs and even doctors with good follow-up programs don't go into such detail. I have one question: I bought a small amount of whole flax seed from the bulk bin at the health food store. I ground them up and put them in yogurt. They tasted just fine, but they gave me diarrhea. Does this effect decrease over time as the body adjusts to the flax seed? I think I ate two Tsp. Maybe I should work up more slowly. If I am able to continue using them, then I will by them in vacuum-sealed packages like you suggested.

I always suggest working up to 1 to 2 tablespoons a day. Gives the bacteria in your bowels a chance to develop and grow strong so they can 'handle' it Some people suffer severe constipation postop and need to start out with 2 or 3 tablespoons. As with all things, it depends on your body. So yeah, try cutting back

How do "milled" flaxseeds weigh in? Are they already pre-ground? Thanks, RK

Within 24 hours of grinding, Flax has lost about HALF it's essential oils...within 1 week it has 'peaked' and has only about 1/8 of its oils left. By one month, you basically are just getting fiber (and it's not a good fiber as it's been ground TOO fine to be of a lot of help to your bowels. It will help SOME, but not a great amount) out of it and even that has started to break down. It's that old saying about avoiding processed foods as much as possible. I buy mine unground and grind what I need daily