will o-3's in udo's convert to epa?

biggun2181

New member
im thinking of switching from fish oil to udo's but i am concerned that udos will have the same problem as flax converting to epa in the body? any input appreciated.
 
biggun2181 said:
im thinking of switching from fish oil to udo's but i am concerned that udos will have the same problem as flax converting to epa in the body? any input appreciated.
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For what it's worth...

Given optimum amounts of ALA, can the body then make all of the EPA and DHA it needs? The answer to this question becomes clear from research findings reported below. Udo’s Oil Blend contains about 50% ALA. Fish oils contain about 30% EPA + DHA. The questions about conversion that need to be answered are:
  • Can the body convert ALA from Udo’s Oil Blend into the n-3 derivatives EPA + DHA contained in fish oils? If so, how much conversion takes place?
  • Is conversion sufficient for health needs?
All three of these questions were answered in October 2002, by two studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition (BJN) which measured the conversion of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the short chain n-3 essential fatty acid, into the long chain n-3 derivatives EPA, DPA, and DHA. The first study, carried out with six women, showed that these women converted an average of 36% of the ALA they were given into long chain n-3 derivatives (21% EPA, 6%DPA, 9%DHA).

The second study, done with six men, showed that the men converted an average of 16% of the ALA they received into long-chain n-3 derivatives (8%EPA, 8%DPA). In this study, the men produced no DHA. However, another study showed that men convert ALA to DHA as well.

Using rate of conversion measured in the study with men, how much ALA is converted? A 150-pound man converting 16% of the recommended 3 tablespoons/day (again, 1 tablespoon/50 pounds of body weight/day of Udo’s Choice Oil Blend) ends up with 3,360mg of long chain n-3 (EPA + DPA), the equivalent of 11 large capsules of fish oil. This again is more than the highest recommended therapeutic dose of fish oil. The fact that no DHA was produced in the study with men prompted the researchers to speculate that men may need to eat fish or take fish oil supplements, but other studies find that men do make DHA.

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Isn't it better to cite a study that isn't offered by the company that sells udo's?

It even states that DHA isn't produced requiring supplementation of fish oil. A blend of both would probably be better.
 
evoVIII said:
Isn't it better to cite a study that isn't offered by the company that sells udo's?

It even states that DHA isn't produced requiring supplementation of fish oil. A blend of both would probably be better.
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Hence the first line of the beginning of my post.

The answer to biggun's question is clear even by Udo's own admission: For males, ALA will convert at a substantially lower rate than fish oil.

I'll hazard a guess that Udo didn't commission the research study done by the BJN, rather that he is only referencing it. Probably more troublesome is that the study uses a sample size of six, calling into question its satistical significance given the size of the population. Still, when it comes to fats Udo has a wealth of knowledge that should not be discounted off-hand. Udo's Choice Blend mixes a variety of oils (flax, sunflower, sesame, rice germ, oat germ, evening primrose, MCT, coconut). His goal was to create a blended balance of what he considers the optimal ratio of n-6 to n-3.

However, I certainly agree with you that it would be better to have an unbiased study comparing the two. Feel free to post a reference to such a study.
 
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