Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy - but why actually?

25. February 2022 — von F. D.

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy for us humans as well as for our pets. But what does this actually mean and what does our body need them for?

Fatty acids consist of a chain of carbon atoms connected by single or double chemical bonds. "Omega-3" is the term for the specific position of a particular double bond. What all omega-3 fatty acids have in common is that they are long-chain, unsaturated fatty acids. We will concentrate here on three of the most relevant ones: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA). All three of these play an important role in many processes in the body. ALA is the basic form and is converted by the body into EPA and DHA for further use, although all three of them can be taken in with food and processed further. These transformations produce many important substances that the body needs for a wide variety of processes.

What does the body need omega-3 fatty acids for?

As lipids, fatty acids are building blocks of cell membranes and thus a component of the cellular skeleton. They are also an energy supplier for organs. The heart, for example, gets a large part of the energy it needs from fatty acids – significantly more than from glucose. Anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, more precisely the prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes, are formed from omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, they dilate the vessels and thin the blood by reducing the tendency to clot. The starting fatty acid for this process is eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

Omega-3 fatty acids are therefore important for the organism. However, they cannot be produced by the body itself. We humans and also our pets must therefore ensure a sufficient intake of omega-3s with our food.

Omega-6

Besides omega-3, there's also omega-6 fatty acids. These also come from our food, but they work pretty much the opposite from omega-3s in their mode of action. Omega-6 fatty acids are also used by the body and converted into arachidonic acid, which also produces eicosanoids. The big difference: the eicosanoids formed from omega-6 are pro-inflammatory.

The right ratio is what counts

The same enzymes are used for the conversion cascade of both types of fatty acids. If there is a disproportion with a significantly higher intake of omega-6, it can happen that despite omega-3 intake, further conversion and use is not possible because the enzymes are already occupied by omega-6. Generally speaking, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should not exceed 5:1. Despite the excess of omega-6 fatty acids, this ratio is healthy and the body is adapted to it - the anti-inflammatory processes predominate over those that increase inflammation.

Omega-3 in the diet

The three key omega-3 fatty acids – alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA) – can be ingested with food. ALA is the basic form and is converted by the body into EPA and DHA for further use. If ALA is taken in with food, this process must first take place, whereby some of the omega-3 fatty acids are lost.

Linseed oil

The alpha-linolenic acid ALA is found in particularly high proportions in linseed oil. Linseed oil is a widely used source of omega-3 fatty acids, but it does not contain any EPA and DHA in direct form. These two must first be formed from ALA - and a lot is lost in the process: Only 10% of the ingested ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA. This means that a significantly larger amount must be ingested than is ultimately available to the body.

Fish oil

Fish oil is a good source of omega-3 because it contains large amounts of EPA and DHA that the body can absorb and use directly. Incidentally, this only applies to sea fish - the fish contains the fatty acids because it ingests saltwater microalgae, which contain EPA and DHA in a particularly high form. Disadvantage: Ocean overfishing and the environmenta pollution caused by the fishing industry.

Algae oil

Saltwater microalgae are rich in EPA and DHA, exactly the two forms of omega-3 fatty acids that the body needs and can use directly. Algae oil is effective as an omega-3 source: Compared to linseed oil, significantly less needs to be ingested for the same amount of usable EPA and DHA. Algae oil also has great advantages compared to fish oil: Since it can be cultivated, it is much more sustainable, fish stocks are not further depleted and it is also suitable for vegan nutrition.

When should omega-3 fatty acids be supplemented?

Our pets need omega-3 fatty acids and these can only be obtained from food. For many, intake through normal food is sufficient, but for some, care should be taken to ensure adequate supplementation.

BARF-fed dogs

Dogs that are BARF fed can develop a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids or a disproportion with omega-6 fatty acids. This is a problem because the very meat-heavy diet contains omega-6 in excess and hardly any omega-3 fatty acids. Supplementary feeding is particularly recommended here.

Pancriatic diseases and obesity

It is particularly important to pay attention to the right omega-3 source in overweight animals or those with pancreatic diseases so that fats are not taken in excess. Supplementation via the commonly used linseed oil is unsuitable here, as a relatively large amount of oil must be fed to achieve sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the patient. Algae oil is better suited since it contains EPA and DHA in large quantities, which is why only very little oil and thus fats are needed.

Chronic, inflammatory diseases

Supplementary feeding can also be beneficial for animal patients with inflammatory, chronic diseases of the skin (e.g. allergies). As described above, the anti-inflammatory eicosanoids formed from omega-3 fatty acids can help to alleviate the symptoms.

Overall, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids is always useful and can help prevent deficiency even in healthy and well-fed animals.