One of the most interesting questions posed to us at Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils, regards the consumers attempt to balance their intake of Omega 6 and Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFA).
The consumer understands that the body wants a 4:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3. Looking at the Comparison of dietary fats chart they believe they are getting enough Omega-6 fatty acids, but they see that they are not getting enough Omega-3. The response to this is that they should supplement their Omega-3 to balance it out.
Shouldn't I be eating flaxseed oil, which has high Omega-3 instead of the balanced Hemp seed oil?
Perhaps, but there are a few things to consider. The first is that Omega-6 and Omega-3 can also be bad fats. If they have been heated past 360 degrees F, hydrogenated, bleached, winterized, deodorized or refined in any way, chances are that the fatty acid has been altered from its good "cis" configuration to its bad "trans" configuration.
The person who feels they are getting enough Omega-6 must ask about the quality of the Omega-6 they are getting. If the Omega-6 they are getting hasn't come from a light and oxygen impermeable container, which has been refrigerated, the Omega-6 will be either "trans" or rancid. Looking at the common sources of Omega-6 we see that Canola oil is usually bleached and deodorized and comes hydrogenated or deep-fried. Corn oil is usually bleached and deodorized as is sesame and soybean oil. If one takes a walk down the grocery isle they will see that all of the corn, canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut and soybean oils are sitting at room temperature, in clear containers with no expiry date. The Omega-6 fats in these products are not in their good configuration. Therefore anyone relying on these sources for good Omega-6 fats is deceiving themselves.
If you are eating a good supply of unrefined sunflower or safflower oil, Flax may be the optimum choice to balance the Omega 6 and 3 ratio. But another consideration is the question of mutual presence. One must ask, is it good to get your Omega-6 in one meal and your Omega-3 in another? or Is it better to have them both present at the same time for optimum metabolic function? One could mix the flax and the sunflower together to achieve what hemp provides naturally.
Thirdly, hemp seed oil offers the direct metabolites of Omega-6 and 3, Gamma-Linolenic Acid and Stearidonic Acid. These metabolites are the same fats that are found in fish oils and are involved in the production of prostaglandin for hormones and in immune functions. Even if one did get unrefined sunflower oil and mixed it with unrefined flaxseed oil, you would mimic Hemp seed oil's Omega-6 to 3 ratio, but still be missing their direct higher metabolites.
Finally, our experience has shown that after a certain time, most flaxseed oil consumers become tired of its taste. For these people, the pleasant nutty flavor of hemp seed oil is a welcome change. At MANITOBA HARVEST we do not discourage consumers from unrefined high quality flaxseed oil, but merely offer them hemp seed oil as a way to increase their options for optimum fat intake. We do however discourage the eating of any deep-fried, hydrogenated, refined or rancid oils.
