Since going LCHF I have been doing a lot of reading up on edible fat types and respective health potentials. This has convinced me to rebalance my Omegas, so much less Omega 6 and more Omega 3. I have been taking a Cod Liver Oil supplement for some time (Sainsburys own brand Extra Strength) and I now cook mainly with cold-pressed rapeseed oil and frequently include milled linseed (flax seed) for breakfast and a couple of portions on oily fish each weel - all rich in Omega 3. However, when you dig deeper it turns out that vegetable sources of Omega 3, like linseed oil and rapeseed oil, contain mostly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and the body only converts a small proportion of this into desirable eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish oils, on the other hand, already contain relatively high quantities of EPA and DHA.
I have assumed I am doing the right thing by taking a Cod Liver Oil supplement but I am now wondering if it is adequate because its payload of EPA and DHA is surprisingly small at just 187mg (combined) per day. I read that recommended quantity is around 500mg per day. Also, my daughter, doesn't like fish or fish oil capsules so I have been buying Seven Seas Omega 3 orange flavour chews but have just noticed that these only contain flax seed oil and therefore have a low DHA and EPA potential.
So, for me I would like to find a better supplement with higher DHA and EPA levels and for my daughter the same but in a form that she would find palatable fruit flavour and preferably chewable. Does anybody (UK-based) have any recommendations? Sorry for the long post!
I have assumed I am doing the right thing by taking a Cod Liver Oil supplement but I am now wondering if it is adequate because its payload of EPA and DHA is surprisingly small at just 187mg (combined) per day. I read that recommended quantity is around 500mg per day. Also, my daughter, doesn't like fish or fish oil capsules so I have been buying Seven Seas Omega 3 orange flavour chews but have just noticed that these only contain flax seed oil and therefore have a low DHA and EPA potential.
So, for me I would like to find a better supplement with higher DHA and EPA levels and for my daughter the same but in a form that she would find palatable fruit flavour and preferably chewable. Does anybody (UK-based) have any recommendations? Sorry for the long post!