Was wondering what other good real food sources of Omega 3 oils were out there before turning to supplements? I know fresh fish (especially oily fish) are the best source (and then the supplements like fish oil / krill oil pills, and cod liver oil, with the plant based sources running a distant last (being ALA instead do EPA/DHA)). But I have never been a big seafood fan (the "fishiness" causes me the most problem), and managing even a couple meals a week of fish (much less the four meals of salmon that PHD recommends) seriously pushes my tolerances (and I certainly can't afford four meals a week of sashimi or butter poached lobster). I have no problems with the supplements, but I also understand the paleo preference for real foods getting preference, so any ideas for alternatives would be greatly appreciated.
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To echo Dr. Harris, it might be best to focus on limiting to the best of your ability your intake of n-6, particularly linoleic acid, rather than pumping the system full of n-3s, even if they are the long-chain DHA/EPA form. If you'd like to get some n-3s via fish, may I suggest a particular brand of canned salmon that is remarkably lacking in the grossness department: Black Top Wild Caught Salmon. It's the only form of canned salmon I can actually eat without the overwhelming fishiness that is all too often characteristic of canned fish. Beyond that, what can you get truly fresh in your area? I don't have any issues with fish as long as it's fresh--the fishiness isn't a potent tongue toxin as long as the fish hasn't been dead for millenia. Mackerel, trout, and herring are all rather omega-3-y, so if those are available at a local market, go for it. |
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If you're looking for a source of omega-3 that isn't fish, but is still mostly DHA and EPA, then you're going to have to eat brain (preferably from a cow, but lamb brain has some omega-3 as well). |
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In agreement re: the flax and chia for the reasons above by Korion. But also (omega-6 concentration aside) the human body typically doesn't do a good job of converting ALA to DHA and EPA. If you really want the anti-inflammatory of omega-3 you'll either need to eat the fish, or take (good quality) fish oil pills or algae sourced EPA/DHA (Nordic Naturals seems to have one, but it's liquid not pills.) Disclaimer, I'm an ND. |
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seal meat and blubber is high in omega 3 :) |
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Omega-3 needs increase with greater omega-6 consumption. If you have cut omega-6 rich seed oils from your diet, you should have a decent enough ratio of O3 to O6 from real food alone. ALA does indeed convert to DHA/EPA in our bodies, albeit in low efficiency. That efficiency however is dependent on the consumption of DHA/EPA in our diets. Which suggests that our DHA/EPA needs are rather modest. Most recently there's been an anti-fish oil supplement vibe going through paleo. Some gurus have revised their recommendations to take massive amounts of fish oil to balance out omegas. Instead, reducing omega-6s comes first. Eating real foods rich on omega-3s comes second. Supplementing comes third. Just take a modest amount of fish oil daily, particularly if you're not a fan of fatty seafood. |
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Flax and chia are mostly ALA, but they're better than nothing and you can toss them into yogurt, smoothies, or pretty much anything. Walnuts are your go-to for nuts with omega 3. Basil, oregano, and cloves all have good amounts of omega 3, so you can cook more often with those. Pastured eggs and pastured dairy/meats will have higher omega 3 content, too. But you might just need to suck it up and do fish at least once a week. |
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You could take cod liver oil. I know you said you'd prefer not to take supplements, but CLO is a real food, or at least it is somewhere between a supplement and real food. It also contains vitamins A and D and other good stuff. Vitamin D is crucial but most of us don't get enough of it. |
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