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  Discussion on Converting Omega 6 to 3...the story continues
Author Message
Member:
loopylou

Posted on Friday, Apr 25, 2008 - 2:46 pm:

Hi Dr. O,
In continuing my due dilligence in feeding my horse flax, or some kind of fatty acid, I contacted Omega Fields about their claims that horses cannot convert Omega 6 to 3. I took the liberty of quoting you, per the Fatty Acid secion on Horse Advice. Here's what they responded with...I'd love your opinion and to also get back to them if you think they are way off...since they are using this as such a strong marketing argument with their product!

Dear Lou:

Thank you for your email and please allow me to apologize for the lateness of my reply. We took your question to our resident Omega-3 expert, Dr. Doug Bibus, MS, PhD -- Please see his reply below:

"Only really odd organisms can convert in between omega 3 and 6 and definitely not mammals.
Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids are essential fatty acids and must be derived from the diet to support multiple physiological functions. The bonding or chemical structures that make these fatty acids an omega 3 or omega 6 are constructed by plants and their enzymes used to synthesize fatty acids from carbon. Plants then store oil or triglyceride and we in turn consume the oil or seed as a food stable and source of essential fatty acids.

In nature, mammals only posses enzymes that can alter the double bond configuration within the first 9 carbons of the carboxy end of the fatty acid molecule. The double bonds that make a fatty acid omega 3 or omega 6 are at the other end of the molecule and this cannot be altered or converted into one another. Animals can add carbons and double bonds but only to the first nine carbons of the fatty acid molecule. Thus we cannot interchange between omega 3 and omega 6. Both fatty acids are essential for health and life. Additionally, a proper balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids is critical to maintaining the health and well being of animals. Excessive omega 6 at the hands of deficient omega 3 not only robs membranes of important omega 3 building blocks, but increases the pro-inflammatory potential of the organism."

Please see attached documents outlining Dr. Bibus' many academic and scientific accomplishments and records highlighting his credibility and integrity within the essential fatty acid scientific community.

Lou, we welcome your in-depth questions and admire your due diligence in seeking out the truth for yourself and your animals.

Thank you for choosing Omega Fields -- "NURITION FOR A HEALTHY LIFE!"

Bonnie Krajnik
National Sales Manager
Omega Fields®
Retail Division of ENRECO®, INC.
(Essential Nutrient Research Corporation)
Phone: 1-800-962-9536 ext 105
Fax: 1-920-726-4224
www.omegafields.com
www.omegafieldshealth.com
www.enreco.com
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Apr 25, 2008 - 11:16 pm:

We will be traveling this weekend but when I get in to my office on Monday I will see if I can find the specific reference in Dr Hintz's book on Equine Clinical Nutrition where I am guessing this was presented. But this metabolic detail misses the main point of the EFA section of the article: long term experimentally created deficient diets of all "essential" fatty acids did not result in any adverse health consequences for a group of ponies. This also was take from Dr Hintz's book.
DrO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Apr 28, 2008 - 11:58 am:

Hello Louise,
Here is the information that I have taken from Dr Harold Hintz's Clinical Equine Nutrition:
quote:

Fats or oils are needed in the horse's diet for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and as a source of the unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid (omega-6). Linoleic acid is essential in the diet of all animals. The amount needed by horses hasn't been determined, although at least 0.5% linoleic acid in the diet dry matter is recommended for all horses; the requirement is probably much lower than this. The horse can synthesize in sufficient quantities all other fatty acids needed, including linolenic (omega-3) and arachidonic acids, which are also often referred to as essential fatty acids. Therefore, fatty acids other than linoleic acid are not needed in the horse's diet.

 He does not give a reference for where he derives this information. However it is possible to put Dr. Hintz's opinion and Dr. Bibus' opinion into a consistent frame (and this is just my conjecture): what if the normal microbial digestion that goes on in the horse's large bowel is responsible for the conversion?

Probing the low fat diet experiment even further the ponies were kept on diets that had about 1/30th the amount of fat found in a normal horse's diet for 7 months. During this time no adverse clinical signs developed though they were closely monitored for signs of essential fatty acid defiecincy. It is thought that the EFAs in the horse may have a very long half life. Also important to note is that the fat in the normal diet of the horse is rich in linoleic acid as is the common vegtable oils like corn oil.
DrO
Member:
ekaufman

Posted on Monday, Apr 28, 2008 - 9:07 pm:

Hi DrO,

Were the ponies evaluated for reproductive fitness, or just general health and friskiness?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 6:19 am:

From the summary I have read, no, reproduction was not part of the evaluation. They did note a DrOp in the blood levels of EFA's and this was of uncertain significance. But the take home message is that 7 months of a diet designed to be severely deficient in fats and EFA's did not result in any problems so it would appear horses have very low dietary EFA requirements when compared with other species and that there normal diet provides excess amounts of this nutrient.
DrO
Member:
loopylou

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 7:29 am:

Hi Dr. O,
Thanks for that info. Do you know if there have been any significant studies done to see if there are any benefits or drawbacks to ADDING fat to the diet? I could recite the pony study showing no ill affect of removing it, but before I do would like to know of any pros or cons of adding it (asides from the ones told to us by the product companies in their marketing spiel).

Also, I'm still in the dark about whether horses can convert Omega 6 to 3...you had mentioned that in one of your articles...could you expand on that or let me know where you got that info as that's what I had written to the Omega Fields folks about in the first place.

Thank you so much. I really wish a board of vets and researchers would get together to validate horse nutrition statements one by one. Perhaps such a thing exists that I'm unaware of?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 9:18 am:

Hello Louise,
I give the reference and quote about omega 6 to 3 conversion above in the Monday, Apr 28, 2008 post. The article on fats and oils in the diet gives indications and benefits of adding fat to the diet.
DrO
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