Fish oil April 5 2013

The question is: should we all be taking Fish Oil capsules?! Since 2004, when the FDA (Food and

Drug Administration) gave "qualified health claim" status to EPA and DHA omega−3 fatty acids, stating, "supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA [omega−3] fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease"*, we have been bombarded by fish oil ads and articles. Recent findings indicate that Omega-­‐3 fatty acids may have a clinically significant impact on reducing inflammation as well as an impact on conditions such as ADHD, bi-­‐polar disorders, depression, autism, educational and behavioral problems among children, and much more. Such trends may lead us to wrong decisions through instilling panic and anxiety.

Christine C.J asked: “I read about the importance of getting enough Omega 3 + 6 + 9. Best to get from food, research shows. However, as a vegetarian I wonder which foods Vaidya recommends? Flax is highly rated but it aggravates pitta.

Hemp seed or oil has the EFAs but Vaidya said hemp clogs the channels.

Avocado has 6 + 9 but apparently not 3, which is important too. I don't want to eat krill or fish oil. What can I take to get enough Omega 3s?

Thank you.”

Vaidya responds: We should think about where this problem of Omega-­‐ 3 vs. Omega-­‐6 originated. Research indicates that our bodies function most optimally when they have a specific balanced ratio of Omega-­‐6 to

* • "FDA announces qualified health claims for omega-­‐3 fatty acids" (Press release).

United States Food and Drug Administration. September 8, 2004. © Adishakti LLC, 2013. The information contained herein is for educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For more information, visit: www.vaidyamishra.com or call. 1888.9SHAKTI or 1.818.709.1005

Omega-­‐3 fats. There is no denying that nowadays that ratio is off. People are testing to find they have an overabundance of Omega-­‐6 fats. The ideal ratio should range between 1:1 to 5:1 and studies find that most American have ratios of 20:1 to 50:1! So what is going on?

We should look at the hetu or etiological factor. Remember the Tri-­‐sutra Ayurveda that I have discussed on several occasions. Identifying the actual hetu or root-­‐cause of a condition gets you half way towards correcting an imbalance, short of actually healing it. In this sense, we look around and ask ourselves: what has changed in our culture? Is something missing? How is it that there was not fatty acids collective concern 50-­‐60 years ago? Could it be because we were still open to consuming animal fats such as ghee, and butter? Could it be that we used to use crude olive oil? Could it be that we did not use any processed non-­‐filtered vegetable oils? I believe this is our hetu.

Through various cultural transformations, an anti-­‐animal fat movement has emerged over the past couple of decades, favoring the use of processed oils over animal fats. Research now clearly indicates that processed oils contain an abundance of Omega-­‐6. However, the industrial processing of these oils depletes them of their Omega-­‐3 content as well. So there is currently a double issue: the consumption of food items that contain an abundance of Omega-­‐6 that’s imbalancing the natural ratio between Omega-­‐3 and Omega-­‐6 in our bodies, in addition to the lowered consumption of food items naturally rich in Omega-­‐ 3. If you look at the history of dietary patterns, we used to consume a lot more animal fats than we do nowadays.

More and more clients are coming to me in a state of panic stating they read this or that article and they have to have fish oil in their diet © Adishakti LLC, 2013. The information contained herein is for educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For more information, visit: www.vaidyamishra.com or call. 1888.9SHAKTI or 1.818.709.1005

otherwise their brain functioning will be impaired, or they may experience cardiac problems. They are convinced they need to have this fatty acid that is essential to their health otherwise they will get into big trouble!

Whenever this kind of thing comes to me I always try to examine this fad dressed-­‐up as a fact: a new fad that is concealing itself under the garb of a factual need.

As you know, in India, millions of people are vegetarian and have been for countless generations. And yet we cannot say that not having had fish oils in their diet has led them to experience any collective physiological and developmental lack thereof. But all of a sudden we are convinced that we cannot live without fish oil!

So should we all add the capsules onto our dietary regimen? Vegetarian and non-­‐vegetarians alike? Well, here’s what I suggest, and this comes from the ayurvedic tradition that knows before any of these fads emerge. Those of you who know the basic tenets, understand that Ayurveda addresses the questions before they even get formulated as questions in our contemporary culture!

The answer is: if you have a balanced intake of good ghee, good olive oil, in addition to coconut oil (if you are a high pitta or live in a tropical climate), and you maintain a good diet that includes the consumption of nuts and seeds, then you should be free from the fish oil capsule obsession that is spreading. If you are not a vegetarian and you can be sure to find good uncontaminated unpolluted fresh fish, then you can add that to your diet of course. © Adishakti LLC, 2013. The information contained herein is for educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For more information, visit: www.vaidyamishra.com or call. 1888.9SHAKTI or 1.818.709.1005

Over the years, I’ve been recommending the use of ghee, specifically Mum’s Ghee, because of its superior properties, for all cooking purposes. Here are third party findings on the Omega contents of ghee, in general: -­‐Omega 6 (18:2) 0.288 g-­‐Omega 3 (18:3) 0.185 g. On the other hand, olive oil can be drizzled over any meal prepared with ghee to add flavor and more nutritional benefits. Coconut oil is good for high pitta type constitutions, and for the high pitta summer season even for mixed and other body types. If you do your research, you will find that ghee and olive oil contain a complete and balanced ratio of Omega-­‐3 and Omega-­‐6. Olive oil needs to be preferably extra virgin and crude; and coconut oil should also be organic and virgin, and of course good ghee, or in my opinion, Mum’s ghee!

So in brief: if you want to increase or maintain optimal amounts of Omega-­‐3s as well as achieve the ideal ratio of Omega-­‐3 to Omega-­‐6 fats, make sure you are consuming: 1) unprocessed organic oils such as: butter but preferably ghee; olive oil, coconut oil 2) have a regular portion of raw but soaked nuts and seeds. Avoid Chia and Flax seeds as they are not recommended by Ayurveda 3) If you are not vegetarian, incorporate some eggs and fish into your diet Flax seeds and Chia seeds have become the latest hype because of their high concentration of Omega-­‐3 (8543 mg for Flax and 7164mg for Chia in comparison to the walnut’s 2776mgs!). But it is not about simply ingesting high proportions as already explained. But if you want the highest ayurvedic Omega-­‐3 containing nut, then go for walnuts. They rank first. After walnuts, you can choose cashews (1 oz serving of dry, © Adishakti LLC, 2013. The information contained herein is for educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For more information, visit: www.vaidyamishra.com or call. 1888.9SHAKTI or 1.818.709.1005

roasted cashews contains 0.221g). Pine nuts also contain some traces of fatty acids. Bu remember, while these nuts may be much lower in their omega-­‐3 content, they contain many other compounds that are essential for overall health, as most nuts contain mono and polyunsaturated fats-­‐ which help lower cholesterol; L-­‐arginine, which helps maintain the health of the cardiovascular system; fiber,which lowers cholesterol and helps control diabetes; vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and helps prevent heart disease and plant sterols, which help lower cholesterol levels.

In general, ror the nuts that you eat, make sure to soak them – except for pine nuts. Ayurveda explains that soaking your nuts and seeds overnight facilitates their digestion and absorption. So you should soak your almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, etc. If you need more flavor, you can mix them with some masala. Here is a quick delicious balancing recipe: Nutty Good Recipe A handful of soaked and rinsed nuts – any nuts Mum’s Ghee Mum’s Masala Soma Salt Fresh Lime Directions: Warm Mum’s ghee Add ½ tsp Mum’s Masala Fresh chopped ginger, green thai chili, curry leaves -­‐ optional Add your soaked nuts and toast. Add Soma Salt to taste, squirt fresh lime, and enjoy!

If you are a high pitta, you can also thrown in some raisions to give it a sweet twist.

So the bottom line is: you are a vegetarian, combining and regularly consuming ghee and olive oil is your best source for a balanced intake of Omega-­‐3 and Omega-­‐6, in addition to nuts and seeds.

As far as omega-­‐9 goes, if you have proper intake of Omega-­‐3 and Omega-­‐6, then the body itself can create the Omega-­‐9 for your needs. © Adishakti LLC, 2013. The information contained herein is for educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For more information, visit: www.vaidyamishra.com or call. 1888.9SHAKTI or 1.818.709.1005

© Adishakti LLC, 2013. The information contained herein is for educational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For more information, visit: www.vaidyamishra.com or call. 1888.9SHAKTI or 1.818.709.1005