Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids are So Good For You
There are 2500mg of omega-3 fatty acids in each carton of Rumble Supershake, provided by organic flaxseed oil. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats, meaning our bodies can’t make them, so we have to get them from what we eat.
Flax is the best plant-based source of omega-3 fats, but it’s notoriously difficult to disguise in tasty foods. It can have a strong taste, and its oil oxidizes and spoils super easily. Given all the effort involved, why would we bother incorporating it in Rumble? Because those 2500mg of omega-3’s pack a super healthy punch!
Like all health foods, there’s a lot we know, and a lot we don’t know about what, exactly, omega-3 fatty acids do for our bodies. We’ve already broken down the science vs. the myth around coconut MCT oil, another awesome Rumble ingredient. So we thought we’d do a little research of our own to help explain just why omega-3 fatty acids (and from flax in particular) are so good for you.
The Three Types
There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids: EPA, DHA, and ALA. The first two (EPA and DHA), are found in the oil of fatty fish and seafood. ALA omega-3 is derived from plants, namely flaxseed, walnut, and other nut and plant oils.
When we think of omega-3 fatty acids, we usually think of fish and fish oil, since most of the studies that champion the benefits of omega-3’s focus on EPA and DHA. Studies have found these two omega-3’s to be integral to fetal development, brain development, heart health, and healthy aging. Some studies even argue that a diet high in EPA and DHA can help prevent and treat cardiovascular disease and mild cases of alzheimers. This is why fish oil supplements are one of the most popular natural products out there.
Omega 3’s are found in the membranes surrounding every cell in our bodies, so it’s no wonder that ensuring you’re meeting the recommended daily intake of omega-3’s can help improve your health all around. But with most of the current studies out there focusing on EPA and DHA from fish oil, does that mean ALA omega-3, derived from plants, isn’t as good for you?
All about ALA
Rumble’s 2500mg of omega-3 fatty acids are all ALA omega-3’s: they’re plant-based, derived from organic flaxseed oil. There are two big reasons why Rumble’s ALA omega-3’s are a boost to your health: first, they actually convert in small amounts to DHA and EPA, and second, studies have shown omega-3’s from flaxseed oil have a host of health benefits all their own.
Our bodies are pretty amazing: even though we can’t make EPA and DHA from scratch, we absorb and ‘metabolize’ around 10% of the ALA omega-3’s we eat into EPA and DHA omega-3’s. This means we get the benefits of EPA and DHA, without having to always eat fish or swallow a stinky fish oil capsule. Since there are 2500mg of ALA omega-3 fatty acids in Rumble, those 2500mg could roughly convert to 250mg of EPA and/or DHA, which is pretty close to the amount found in a single fish oil capsule (300mg)!
Super Flaxseed
ALA omega-3 fatty acids are awesome on their own, too. Studies have shown that the fats in flaxseed oil can reduce cholesterol build-up, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of stroke (by 50%) and heart attack (by 30%). Including flaxseed oil in your diet may also reduce blood glucose for those with diabetes, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and improve skin health and appearance.
There are other studies that have found flaxseed aids in preventing breast cancer, reducing tumour growth, and reducing the mortality of cancer, but those studies focused on whole flaxseed rather than flaxseed oil. So take that as one more reason to fit flax into your diet in other ways beyond Rumble!.
One more thing - Canada is the world’s largest producer of flaxseed, accounting for almost 80% of global trade. It’s a super crop grown right here in our own country, which makes us even more stoked to include it in Rumble.
The Takeaway? Eat Well.
It’s always difficult to isolate the effects of one ingredient or nutrient in a food. Many of the studies that trumpet the benefits of DHA and EPA omega-3’s actually looked at people who have a high-seafood diet, not those who take supplements. Studies of fish oil on it’s own have been mixed, as it may be that eating fish (in place of other kinds of protein), is what makes the difference for heart, brain health, and development, not the oil in isolation. The studies that test flaxseed oil specifically (which we reference above) do show promising results, but bigger trials and further studies are needed to prove anything definitively.
All of this is to say that eating well is the most important thing! Supplements like fish oil capsules can’t replace the benefits of a balanced, diverse, and nutritious diet. It’s why we’ve got so many natural, organic and premium ingredients in Rumble, and why we went above and beyond to include flaxseed oil in our recipes: because nutrition is health.
