ATMS Journal Spring 2023 (Public Version) | Page 17

Metabolism of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Ahiflower ® Richest source of ALA , SDA , & GLA eicosapentaenioc acid ( EPA ) 20:5

Figure 1 . fish , algal

Hemp seeds do contain SDA , which bypasses the D-6-D conversion step , but their omega-3:6 ratio is heavily slanted towards omega-6 , which is not ideal in today ’ s dietary climate .

Algae and marine oils both provide the body with long chain omegas EPA and DHA , which , perhaps due to financial interest , are the focus of most omega research . Emerging research suggests the importance of other metabolites not enriched by algae or marine oil consumption , and disruption of natural metabolism by preformed long-chain omega intake .

Additionally , there are significant viable concerns for the depletion of our oceans and the subsequent consequences for climate change associated with fishing . While EPA and DHA are critical metabolites , the importance of other metabolites has been widely overlooked .

Significantly , one study by Zamroziewicz et al . in 2017 showed circulating ALA , SDA and ETA levels to be predictors of fluid intelligence , total grey matter , and frontal neocortex brain integrity docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) 22:6

22:5 in healthy seniors , rather than EPA or DHA .( 4 ) The 2021 NHANES ( 5 ) epidemiological conclusions support the importance of other metabolites . They showed that higher levels of serum LA , ALA , EPA and DHA all displayed robust inverse correlations with allcause mortality risk , but that only ALA correlated to lower cancer death risk ( and not LA , EPA or DHA ), and that only higher serum EPA ( and not DHA ) correlated to lower cardiovascular death risk .

Additionally , while DHA supplementation is widely assumed to be optimum for cognition , a doubleblind , placebo-controlled trial found algae-derived DHA supplementation to have deleterious effects on cognition compared to placebo .( 6 ) Another study tested EPA vs DHA supplementation and found that the EPA cohort improved overall cognitive performance , while the DHA group actually declined in cognitive performance , performing worse than placebo .( 7 ) This study indicates that EPA may be more important than DHA for fluid intelligence than previously believed . docosapentaenoic acid ( DPA )

Metabolizing Ahiflower ’ s richest array of ‘ precursor ’ fatty acids produces more unique

When long-chain omegas are supplemented , natural metabolic flow of essential fatty acids may be disrupted . Supplementing long-chain omegas like DHA appears to block the conversion of short-chain omegas : those who do not consume long-chain fatty acids have an up-regulated conversion of shortchain to long-chain fatty acids ( FA ) by epigenetic control of converting enzymes . Researchers of one study of over 14,000 people remarked : “… the precursorproduct ratio from plant-derived ALA to circulating long-chain n-3 PUFAs was significantly greater in non-fish eaters than in those who ate fish … results suggested that the best conversion rates are by individuals that don ' t consume ( preformed ) DHA .”( 3 )

Latest research using compound-specific isotope analysis has established that there is minimal retro-conversion of DHA . Researchers demonstrated that the increase in plasma EPA following DHA supplementation in humans does not occur via retro-conversion , but instead from a slowed metabolism and / or accumulation of plasma EPA . Furthermore , substantial amounts of

JATMS | Spring 2023 | 133