omega-6

We often talk about omegas and their benefits for the health of our pet, however do we really know the differences between them and their real impacts? Here is some key information which will help you to make an informed decision when buying food or health supplements for your furry friends.

Omega-3

This omega is certainly the best known. Omega-3 can come from vegetable (hemp oil, linseed oil, etc.) or from animal sources (seal oil, salmon oil, krill oil, etc.). When it comes from a vegetable source, it is called ALA (alpha linolenic acid). This acid will have to be converted in the digestive system of your animal in order to transform in EPA and DHA, the fatty acids found in fish. As the conversion rate of ALA is quite low, it is considered as a “weak” source of omega-3. Bio-availability and retro-conversion will be better with omega-3 coming from fish oil and even superior with seal oil! Sea oil is better absorbed by your animal because the mammal cell structure is something their bodies recognize immediately. The molecular structure of seal oil therefore allows better assimilation. Also, in addition to EPA and DHA, seal oil contains a third fatty acid (DPA) which will convert into EPA / DHA during the digestion process of your animal. This will enhance naturally the benefits of Omega-3’s.

@the_little_dog_crew

Speaking of the benefits of Omega-3, what are they?

Decrease in shedding
Improved skin and coat
Reduction of allergies and inflammation
Better joint health
Improved heart health
Strengthening of the immune system in general
Helps in growth, reproduction and brain development

For your pet, the ideal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio would be 4: 1. In today’s diet, whether you give your animal raw or dry food, it will be high in omega-6. Some company even have a ratio of 20:1 in their pet food. This is why, it is really necessary to prioritize the addition of omega-3 to your pet’s diet rather than an intake of omega-6. Too much omega-6 for your pet could lead to problems like inflammation or heart disease. To find out more: But why is there too much omega-6 in my pet’s diet?

@tellement_mom

Omega-9

Omega-9 is mainly found in plant oil and animal fat. It is not considered an essential fatty acid, since your pet is able build this fatty acid from unsaturated fats in its body and do not need specific food or supplements to produce it.

In conclusion the omega that you should prioritize is the omega-3, in order to restore the level of omega-3 vs. omega-6 ratio in your fury friend’s body and because they can easily produce omega-9.

@enzo_le_samoyede

SOURCES

Elizabeth Koutsos, Stacey Gelis, Michael Scott Echols, in Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery, Advancements in nutrition and nutritional therapy, 2016.

Mahmoud Alagawany, Shaaban S. Elnesr, Mayada R. Farag, Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack, Asmaa F. Khafaga, Ayman E. Taha, Ruchi Tiwari, Mohd. Iqbal Yatoo, Prakash Bhatt, Sandip Kumar Khurana, Kuldeep Dhama

Animals (Basel),Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids in Poultry Nutrition: Effect on Production Performance and Health, 2019 Aug; 9(8): 573. Published online 2019 Aug 18.

Dr. Michael Dym. Recommended Omega-3 and Omega-6 Ratio for Pets (2011) <https://blog.petmeds.com/ask-the-vet/omega-3-and-omega-6-acid-benefits-for-pets/>

Gregory L. Tilford. Essential Fatty Acids For Increased Canine Health (2001) <https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/essential-fatty-acids-for-increased-canine-health/>

Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomed Pharmacother. 2002 Oct;56 (8):365-79.

Bjørkkjær et al. Short-term duodenal seal oil administration normalised n-6 to n-3 fatty acid ratio in rectal mucosa and ameliorated bodily pain in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Lipids in Health and Disease 2006, 5:6 doi:10.1186/1476-511X-5-6)

Brox J, Olaussen K, Osterud B, Elvevoll EO, Bjornstad E, Brattebog G, Iversen H: A long-term seal- and cod-liver-oil supplementation in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Lipids 2001, 36:7-13.

Brockerhoff H, Hoyle RJ, Hwang PC, Litchfield C: Positional Distribution of Fatty Acids in Depot Triglycerides of Aquatic Animals. Lipids 1968, 3:24-29.

Yoshida H, Kumamaru J, Mawatari M, Ikeda I, Imaizumi K, Tsuji H, Seto A: Lymphatic absorption of seal and fish oils and their effect on lipid metabolism and eicosanoid production in rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1996, 60:1293-1298.

Evan J. H. Lewis, Peter W. Radonic, Thomas M. S. Wolever and Greg D. Wells. 21 days of mammalian omega-3 fatty acid supplementation improves aspects of neuromuscular function and performance in male athletes compared to olive oil placebo. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2015).

Toshie Kanayasu-Toyoda, Ikuo Morita, Sei-itsu Murota. Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5, n-3), an elongation metabolite of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, n-3), is a potent stimulator of endothelial cell migration on pretreatment in vitro. 54(5):319-25 (1996).

Sheppard, K.W., Cheatham, C.L. Omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid intake of children and older adults in the U.S.: dietary intake in comparison to current dietary recommendations and the Healthy Eating Index. Lipids Health Dis 17, 43 (2018) doi:10.1186/s12944-018-0693-9

Pet food is often high in Omega-6 but low in Omega-3. Too much Omega-6 and too little Omega-3 can lead to several health problems for your dog or cat. The difference between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids is based on molecular structure. A ratio of about 4-1 Omega-6 to Omega-3 is considered optimum for dogs but many commercial dog foods contain ratios of 20-1.

Omega-6 vs. Omega-3 imbalance may lead to:

Inflammation
Allergy like symptoms
Pour coat or skin
Joint problems
Overweight and obesity

But why is there too many Omega-6 in my pet diet?

Most live-stock is grain-fed, which is high in Omega-6. Since most pet foods including raw food contain much more Omega-6 fatty acids than Omega-3 fatty acids, many pet food companies have added Omega-3 fatty acids to try and compensate for this difference. However, the cooking and processing of most commercial pet foods does destroy some of the fatty acid content. Supplementing with a bioavailable Omega-3 can restore the balance.

Why Seal Oil?

The best Omega-3 / Omega-6 Ratio

A concrete example comes to us from Norway where a study (Bjørkkjær et al. 2006) clearly concluded: “… administration of seal oil normalised the n-6 to n-3 Fatty Acid ratio and improved the bodily pain dimension of health related quality of life of patients ….”

The ratio of SeaDNA Omega-3 Seal Oil is almost 8:1 in favour of Omega-3, an excellent balance to help promote better overall health. And as science has shown us, seal oil is proven to improve the critical Omega ratio.

Contains DPA

Seal Oil contains the link in the Omega-3 chain that all other Omega-3 supplements now sold are missing: DPA (docosapentaenoic acid). This compound occurs naturally in few places: Seal Oil and a mother’s breast milk are two. DPA amplifies the positive impact that EPA and DHA can have on your pet.

More easy to absorb

Scientific studies have shown that the mammalian molecular triglyceride structure of the seal is more easily accepted by your pet’s body than the foreign fish molecular structure. This means optimal digestion and absorption for better results.

10 X More efficient

A scientific study has shown that the maximal stimulation of endothelial cell migration by DPA pre-treatment was achieved using only 1/10 of the required EPA concentration. These data suggest that the effect of EPA on endothelial cell migration occurs via DPA, and that DPA plays an important role in repairing damaged vessels.

So the answer to the question “Will Omega-3 help my pet” is: “Phoque” Yeah!

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