Fatty acids are the building blocks of fat inside your body. Your cells naturally produce fatty acids because they’re important for cell growth and survival. [1] Aside from serving as important components of cell membranes, fatty acids also provide cells with energy to perform their functions.
Fatty acids are the main components of triglycerides. These lipids, or waxy fats, store unused calories (energy) from the foods you eat for later use. [2][3] A triglyceride molecule is composed of three fatty acids attached to glycerol, a naturally occurring alcohol that’s formed in the liver. [4]
Thanks to advances in biochemistry, we now know that different types of fatty acids exist in nature. And while the human body can synthesize its own fatty acids, it can’t produce all the fatty acids that are important for human health. [5] These essential fats, or healthy fats, as we’ve come to know them, can only be obtained from certain foods or supplements.
Why we need omega fatty acids*
The fatty acids that come from our diet are divided into four categories: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fatty acids. The first two are known as good fats and are known to support heart health, while the other two have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. [6]
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) can be found in healthy foods like nuts, avocados and olive oil. In fact, they are a key component of the Mediterranean Diet. [7] The main MUFA in the human diet is oleic acid (OA), an omega-9 fatty acid that can be found in animal fat and vegetable oils. Plant sources of OA are preferable to animal sources because most animal fats contain high amounts of saturated fatty acids.
According to studies, replacing most of the saturated fat in your diet with plant-based OA can support a healthy heart and maintain healthy blood sugar levels already within normal range. [8][9] A study published in the journal PNAS also suggests that increasing your intake of plant-based OA can support the healthy functions of your blood vessels and help you maintain healthy blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range. [10]
In another study, Japanese researchers looked at the effects of a diet enriched in OA on cholesterol metabolism. They found that thanks to its positive effects, OA can support healthy blood cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range. In contrast, the addition of palmitic acid, a saturated fat, to the same diet was found to increase total cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels. [11]
OA also has a role to play in your body’s natural defenses. According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, OA can help you maintain a healthy immune system by supporting optimal immune regulation. [12] This includes different types of white blood cells that are involved in both adaptive (T-cells) and innate (neutrophils, macrophages) immunity.
Like MUFAs, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are also found in plant- and animal-based foods (e.g., flaxseed, ahiflower and fatty fish) and offer plenty of health benefits. PUFAs include essential fatty acids like omega-3s and omega-6s, which your body cannot produce on its own. The MUFA oleic acid is produced by specialized cells in your brain, so while important, it is not considered an essential fatty acid. [13]
The two essential omega fatty acids you need to get from your diet are the omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and the omega-6, linoleic acid (LA). Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are both omega-3s, can be synthesized by your body from ALA. But due to poor conversion efficiency, you still need to rely on omega-3-rich foods like nuts, flaxseed and fatty fish to maintain healthy EPA and DHA levels. [14]
According to early studies, the importance of ALA lies mainly in its being a precursor to EPA and DHA. This is despite the fact that less than 1% of the ALA you get from foods is converted into both types of omega-3s. [15] But recent studies have shown that ALA also offers benefits beyond just contributing to your EPA and DHA synthesis.
In a review published in the journal BioMed Research International, researchers reported that omega-3s, in general, have the ability to protect against oxidative damage. Being an omega-3, ALA has been found to support healthy cardiovascular and cognitive functions by protecting heart and brain cells from the harmful effects of free radicals. [16]
Animal and human studies also show that an ALA-enriched diet can help you maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range. Additionally, an increase in the amount of ALA in the cell membranes of heart muscle cells has been shown to support normal heart rhythm.
Meanwhile, in the brain, the benefits of ALA have been linked to supporting healthy levels of the BDNF protein, which is crucial for learning, memory and the maintenance of healthy brain neurons. Researchers have also reported that ALA can support a positive mood thanks to its protective effects against oxidative damage. This type of cell damage is linked to the loss of important brain chemicals that help regulate mood, such as dopamine. [17]
Like its precursor, EPA can also support a healthy heart. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, supplementing with EPA can help you maintain healthy triglyceride levels that are already within the normal range. [18] [19]
DHA, on the other hand, has more profound effects on the brain, being an essential nutrient for the growth and functional development of the brain of infants. In adults, DHA is required for the maintenance of optimal brain functions. In fact, a study published in the journal PLoS ONE found that supplementing with DHA helps support healthy memory function in older adults. [20]
Aside from memory, research shows that DHA also affects learning. A study published in the journal Pharmacological Research noted that the brain takes up more DHA than any other fatty acid and uses it very quickly. [21] Being deficient in DHA has been linked to poor learning in children and younger adults, and cognitive decline in older adults.
Like oleic acid, EPA and DHA support healthy immune functions. In a study that appeared in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers reported that both omega-3s can positively influence your body’s production of certain immune cells. EPA and DHA can also help you maintain a healthy immune system by supporting optimal immune regulation. [22]
Thanks to their ability to support certain immune cells, EPA and DHA can also help you maintain healthy bones. Research shows that certain immune cells produce signaling molecules that help activate osteoclasts – cells that degrade bone. But because EPA and DHA help support healthy activity of these immune cells, supplementing with these omega-3s supports healthy bone growth and development. [23]
When it comes to the omega-6, linoleic acid, researchers have found that this essential fat has a special role to play in supporting heart health. Experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggest that replacing the saturated fat in your diet with LA can help you maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range. [24]
What’s more, a study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism reports that LA can also support healthy blood sugar levels that are already within the normal range. [25]
Why switch to Ahiflower Oil?
Because of the important roles played by omega fatty acids in the human body, getting sufficient amounts of these healthy fats from your diet is absolutely necessary. But due to the limited sources of some of these fatty acids, obtaining them could be tricky, especially for people who follow restrictive diets.
Vegans and vegetarians won’t have any difficulties getting OA, LA and ALA as they are abundantly present in vegetables, nuts and seeds, but getting EPA and DHA presents a challenge. EPA and DHA are also called marine omega-3s for a reason – they mainly come from fatty fish. [26] The only reliable non-animal source of these healthy fats is algal oil and what little your body can produce from ALA. [27]
But a new reliable, plant-based source of omega fatty acids has been discovered recently in the form of ahiflower oil. Ahiflower is a flowering plant native to Europe and Asia that has now spread across North America. [28] Ahiflower oil is derived from the seeds of the Buglossoides arvensis plant; thanks to the oil’s abundance of omega fatty acids, it is fast becoming the preferred alternative to fish oil and flaxseed oil. [29]
One of the things that make ahiflower oil superior to flaxseed oil is the presence of biologically advanced plant omegas, such as the omega 3, stearidonic acid (SDA), and the omega-6, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). These healthy fats can only be found in a handful of plant-based sources, namely, borage, evening primrose and echium. Of these omega-rich oils, only echium oil contains both SDA and GLA like ahiflower oil, but the latter delivers the richest overall balance of plant-based omega-3s and omega-6s. [30]
According to chemical analysis, the fatty acid profile of ahiflower oil looks like this:
- ALA: 42-48%
- SDA: 19-21%
- LA: 9-15%
- GLA: 5-8%
- OA: 7.5%
The high SDA content of ahiflower oil gives it a significant advantage over other plant-based oils in terms of supplying EPA and DHA. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, SDA is more efficiently converted by the body into EPA than ALA. In fact, SDA has been found to increase EPA levels in red blood cells by up to 30%. Because of this, SDA is considered by experts as a pro-EPA fatty acid. [31]
Although the SDA in ahiflower oil is not directly converted into DHA, it can still help raise DHA levels. As reported by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the body can convert substantial amounts of EPA into DHA following supplementation. [32]
The GLA in ahiflower oil also offers many health benefits. For instance, research has found that dietary GLA is converted by the body into a longer PUFA known as dihomo-y-linolenic acid (DGLA), which serves as a precursor to prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is a lipid that supports healthy immune responses. [33][34]
Optimal immune health is important for your mobility as dysregulated responses can negatively affect your bone and join health. [35] Because GLA supports healthy immune regulation, supplementing with ahiflower oil can also support healthy bones and joints.
Studies have also shown that GLA, in combination with EPA and DHA, can support healthy blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range. [36] Given that ahiflower oil also contains SDA, which can support healthy EPA and DHA levels, supplementing with ahiflower oil is great way to support a healthy heart.
Thanks to ahiflower oil’s natural abundance of omega-3s, omega-6s and the omega-9 oleic acid, it can offer the following health benefits:*
- Supports healthy cardiovascular function
- Supports healthy bones and joints
- Supports healthy brain function
- Supports healthy immune function
- Supports healthy blood sugar levels that are already within the normal range
- Naturally uplifts mood
Where to get clean, lab-verified Ahiflower oil softgels
Fish oil is the primary source of omega fatty acids for people on non-restrictive diets. For vegans and vegetarians, algal oil or plant-based oils like flaxseed oil are their go-to sources. But these supplements have several disadvantages and even pose certain health risks, as is the case with fish oil supplements.
The world’s oceans and other bodies of water are now polluted with mercury, a toxic heavy metal that accumulates inside the bodies of fish via biomagnification, and microplastics. Because of this, fish oil supplements are highly likely to be contaminated with mercury and microplastic, which can damage your vital organs and cause more harm than good for your health.
Another thing worth considering is that many commercial supplements, regardless of their sources, offer only one or two types of omega fats at a time. But studies show that to get the most out of these healthy fats, you need to obtain them from your diet in a perfectly balanced ratio.
This is why we’re offering Chief Originals Ahiflower Oil 90 Softgels – Plant-based Omega-3-6-9. This premium plant-based supplement contains a well-balanced combination of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, including the biologically advanced plant omegas, SDA and GLA, to support optimal immunity, vitality and overall wellness. Thanks to the presence of SDA, our high-quality ahiflower oil softgels can also support healthy EPA and DHA levels.
The ahiflower oil in our Chief Originals Ahiflower Oil 90 Softgels – Plant-based Omega-3-6-9 is derived from the seeds of the Buglossoides arvensis plant grown ethically and sustainably in the U.K. We then used patented extraction methods here in the U.S. to ensure that our softgels can deliver all the omega fatty acids found in this unique vegan oil.
Chief Originals Ahiflower Oil 90 Softgels – Plant-based Omega-3-6-9 are vegan, non-GMO, Crop Assured 365® and lab verified for cleanliness and purity. Like all products in the Health Ranger Store, they are also extensively lab tested for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology, so you can be sure that our product is the best non-fish omega fatty acid supplement on the market.
Support optimal health and wellness with ahiflower oil, the perfect source of plant-based omega fatty acids!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not recommended to treat, cure or diagnose any disease.
References
[1] https://www.sciencedaily.com
[2] https://healthyeating.sfgate.com
[3] https://www.mayoclinic.org
[4] https://www.khanacademy.org
[5] https://www.tandfonline.com
[7] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[9] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[10] https://www.pnas.org
[11] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[12] https://www.frontiersin.org
[13] https://www.mdpi.com
[14] https://lpi.oregonstate.edu
[15] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[17] https://biosignaling.biomedcentral.com
[18] https://www.nejm.org
[19] https://www.mayoclinic.org
[20] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[21] https://www.sciencedirect.com
[22] https://www.mdpi.com
[23] https://www.mdpi.com
[24] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu
[25] https://journals.physiology.org
[26] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu
[27] https://www.healthline.com
[28] https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org
[29] https://www.verywellhealth.com
[30] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
[34] https://link.springer.com
[35] https://www.health.harvard.edu
[36] https://www.mountsinai.org
