Douglas MacKay, ND Talks Fish Oil

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First published at www.MohrResults.com, August 2007

Today we’re sitting down with a leading Naturopathic Doctor, Douglas MacKay, ND, who preaches and practices prevention versus reaction.  Unfortunately, too many other health care practitioners have more of a reactive approach and don’t discuss the importance of nutrition and physical activity and how those two alone can prevent or at least reduce the risk of disease.

And today we’re focusing specifically on the virtues of omega-3 fats and fish oil.  Dr. MacKay has his own practice in New Hampshire and is also a research scientist at Nordic Naturals, the leading fish oil company in the world.

Let’s cut to the chase.

CM: Can you give a brief overview on the virtues of fish oil and how they can apply to all walks of life, from fitness enthusiasts to soccer moms and everyone in between?

Douglas MacKay, ND: The virtues of fish oil are based on the simple fact that fish oils a rich in the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are required structural components of every single cell in the human body. The human body cannot make EPA and DHA and they must be consumed from the diet.

As constituents of cell membranes EPA and DHA are determinants of cell receptor action, hormone binding, cell fluidity, signal transduction, ion channel function, and membrane-bound enzyme activity. As you can imagine the above-mentioned functions are extremely vital for maintaining health. There are many negative health implications and diseases that are associated with EPA and DHA deficiency.

CM: There has been some research on fat loss with omega-3 fats; are you familiar with this research and do you think it holds any weight in a real life application?

DK: Fish oil is not a magic bullet for fat loss. However there is some solid evidence that suggests when you are deficient in these essential nutrients, your body will shift its metabolism and begin to store dietary fat instead of burning it. When an individual has adequate intake of EPA and DHA the body metabolizes dietary fat for energy production instead of storing. This mechanism is being explored as one of the underlying mechanisms for metabolic syndrome.  For readers that are exercising regularly and eating right, but not losing weight – this would be an area to explore.

CM: Recently there has been a lot of talk about krill oil being superior to straight fish oil.  Can you discuss the differences between the two and give the readers some take home information? 

DK: The difference between Krill Oil and Fish Oil is the molecular package the EPA and DHA are delivered in. Krill Oil is in the phospholipids form and Fish Oil is in the triglyceride form (some fish oil is in the synthetic ethyl ester form but this is a completely different issue). Proponents of Krill argue that the phospholipid form is the exact form that is used in cell membranes so Krill is superior. Krill also contains a naturally occurring antioxidant that helps to keep the oil stable.

There are a couple problems with these theories. The first is there is little evidence that delivering EPA and DHA as a phospholipid has any added benefit.

There are literally thousands of published scientific articles showing the benefit of Fish Oil and only a handful exploring the use of Krill. Fish Oil is a known and proven way to supply EPA and DHA. A second problem with Krill is the amount of EPA and DHA per capsule in Krill is relatively low as compared to fish oil, making achieving therapeutic targets difficult and expensive.

Personally my biggest concern with Krill Oil (being an ex-Marine Biologist), is that krill is the foundation of the food chain for so many oceanic species. Commercial Krill harvesting has already been banned in several major oceans and the implications of over-harvesting Krill are devastating.

The fish caught for manufacturing fish oil are tightly regulated the fish oil industry has been credited for improving the ocean ecosystem. Fish oil creates a commercially viable industry for many fishermen, which is based on fish that are not endangered such as cod, anchovies, and mackerel. This keeps the fisherman from trying to earn a living on species that are on the endangered list.

MP101: I am often questioned on what the main difference is between flax oil and fish oil; what is your best answer as to why folks should use fish oil on a daily basis?  Do you think flax oil has a place in the diet as well?

DK: The main difference is that flax oil is rich in the 18 carbon omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA). ALA must be metabolically converted into the longer chain EPA and DHA. Researchers have found that this metabolic conversion is very inefficient.

The long and short of it is that there are many health benefits that have been specifically attributed to EPA and DHA including, heart health, brain health, etc. If your goal is to achieve these benefits, then fish oil is the way to go. Very simply, flax oil is not a good source of EPA and DHA.

This being said, flax oil is still a healthy polyunsaturated fatty acid and can be a part of a well-rounded whole foods based diet.

MP101: It bothers me when folks recommend straight omega-3 fats instead of EPA/DHA since lower quality products may have high amounts of total omega-3’s, yet very little of EPA and DHA.  What would you suggest is a dose for readers to shoot for with EPA/DHA for general prevention, assuming there are no specific health risks?

DK: International experts have agreed upon 650 mg of EPA + DHA daily for health maintenance and to prevent deficiency.

MP101: I personally always suggest folks also eat cold water, fatty fish several times per week.  Do you also recommend supplementing with fish oil above and beyond eating fish or do you believe individuals can get their omega-3’s through diet alone?

DK: In my experience your recommendation for increasing dietary cold-water fish is hard for most people to follow on a consistent basis due to cost and availability of fish high in EPA and DHA. It is different if you live in a fishing community, but for most it is a hard way to go.

It seems prudent to supplement with 300 – 500 mg EPA + DHA daily via supplements and to also try to consume copious cold water fish. Remember that EPA and DHA content in fish varies dramatically based on species, season, and the fishes diet. For instance farm-raised salmon has been found to have very little EPA and DHA because of their diet.

MP101: Nordic Naturals has a variety of products for adults, kids, and even pets.  I personally take the Heart Synergy product to get a high dose of EPA/DHA with ease.  Which products would you suggest for someone just looking for overall health and disease prevention?  Of course, I’m saying this assuming folks are also being smart about their diets and eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, etc as well since no one can or should ever rely solely on any supplement.

DK: The most cost effective approach is to use cod liver oil liquid. 1 tsp is approximately 1 gram of EPA and DHA. Some people are not fans of taking oil off the spoon. If this is the case I usually recommend ProOmega caps – 2 caps daily is approximately 1.2 grams EPA + DHA daily

CM:  This has been fantastic, Doug.  Thank you!  Quick summary-what 3 things would like readers to take home from this newsletter with regards to fish oil?

Take Home Points

1. EPA and DHA are required nutrients
2. The human body cannot make EPA and DHA so they must be consumed by the diet on a regular basis.
3. If you’re struggling with weight loss and your diet and physical activity are in order, omega’3’s might be an area to explore.
4. Deficiency of EPA and DHA contributes to the development of many chronic diseases and may make it more difficult to maintain optimal metabolism.
5. Health experts have agreed that approximately 650 mg of EPA/DHA is important for general health maintenance.

For more information about healthy eating and incorporating a variety of nutrients in the diet, check out Mohr Results - Grocery Shopping Made Easy DVD!