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Omega-3 Vegetables

MemberMember
5
(@chunkylard)

Posted : 04/05/2011 7:41 pm

For those of you worried about your Omega-3 intake, here's something to ease your mind. Did you know vegetables also contains Omega-3s? Here's a short list of common vegetables and their Omega-3 : Omega-6 amounts. I'll probably update this list with more foods. Most people say strive for a ratio of 1:2 Omega-3s to Omega-6s, but anywhere from 1:1 to 1:4 is generally acceptable.

 

 

All Omega-3/6 amounts are in Milligrams (mg) and a serving size of 1 cup.

 

Omega-3 : Omega-6

Left side : Right side

 

Spinach:

41 : 7.8

 

Broccoli (including the stalk):

166.1 : 58.4

 

Broccoli Leaves:

36 : 10.6

 

Carrots:

18 : 128.5

 

Collard Greens:

38.9 : 29.5

 

Cabbage (Red):

40 : 30.3

 

Cabbage (Savoy:

24.8 : 18.6

 

Kale:

121 : 92.4

 

Green bell peppers:

11.9 : 80.6

 

Red bell peppers:

37.2 : 67

 

Flaxseed (ground)

38033 : 9803

 

Evil plants:

Corn:

24.6 : 835

 

Slice of whole wheat bread:

139 : 1148

 

Soybean:

2460 : 18441

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MemberMember
4
(@dotty1)

Posted : 04/05/2011 7:52 pm

Wow! great post! Thank you!

 

Its great that you also included a few no-no foods too --- just look how they wreck havoc on the Omega 3:6 ratio!

 

Do you happen to have the ratio for walnuts?

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MemberMember
5
(@chunkylard)

Posted : 04/05/2011 8:03 pm

Wow! great post! Thank you!

 

Its great that you also included a few no-no foods too --- just look how they wreck havoc on the Omega 3:6 ratio!

 

Do you happen to have the ratio for walnuts?

 

I remembered they're almost a perfect 1 : 4 ratio. That might help some people balance out their ratio if they're planning to eat walnuts. Most nuts in general are pretty high in Omega-6s and Omega-3s. But mostly Omega-6s. However, I still think they should be included in the diet.

 

Walnuts:

1 cup:

7206 : 30402.1

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MemberMember
0
(@alicecooper)

Posted : 04/05/2011 8:46 pm

where are you getting this info?

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MemberMember
5
(@chunkylard)
MemberMember
2
(@ariventa)

Posted : 04/06/2011 7:14 am

Yeah, but it's in ALA form. EPA and DHA is kinda what we need, which is why if you want optimal health, you really need animal products or those derived from animals.

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MemberMember
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(@chunkylard)

Posted : 04/06/2011 7:50 am

Yeah, but it's in ALA form. EPA and DHA is kinda what we need, which is why if you want optimal health, you really need animal products or those derived from animals.

 

 

You need ALL forms and a good ratio of all 3 (well there's more than ALA/EPA/DHA, but they're found in varied amounts in plenty of foods.) EPA/DHA isn't "kinda" what you need, it's 2/3s of what you need. ALA supports dermal (skin) strength, so anyone suffering from ANY skin condition, better be getting enough Alpha-Linoleic Acids. ALA helps synthesize enzymes by the pancreas, not to mention a bunch of acids necessary for normal health function. To rule ALA out because it's not EPA/DHA is just stupid, considering ALA is involved in a multitude of functions in the human body, including making your kidneys able to filter blood (another aspect of acne.) I've never once seen anything recommending that people only need to balance their Omega-3 EPA/DHA ratio to Omega-6s. Frankly any Omega-3 acid that's helping to contribute to your omega-3:omega-6 ratio balance is doing good to your body.

 

Also ALA partially converts to EPA/DHA in the body (I think I read it's something like 10-15%.)

 

 

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Guest
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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 04/06/2011 8:13 am

well coolz then, cept carrot, how come its higher in 6 tho? afterall its sposed to be soo good for acne etc, but if ur like on somekinda carrot diet for acne or something u would actually unbalance those omegas then, which itself is bad for acne? like i wonder then which is more influential/important for acne, having enough vitamins (a,e etc) or balanced omega stuffs? :/

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MemberMember
5
(@chunkylard)

Posted : 04/06/2011 11:25 am

well coolz then, cept carrot, how come its higher in 6 tho? afterall its sposed to be soo good for acne etc, but if ur like on somekinda carrot diet for acne or something u would actually unbalance those omegas then, which itself is bad for acne? like i wonder then which is more influential/important for acne, having enough vitamins (a,e etc) or balanced omega stuffs? :/

 

If I had to guess it might be because carrots are starchier, which might have something to do with the Omega 3 ratio, although I'm not entirely sure to be honest. The broccoli stalk also has a higher amount of Omega 6s than the leaves or head. It still has less Omega 6s than Omega 3, but it's higher than other parts of the plant.

 

Remember, Omega-6s aren't inherently bad (they're found in a lot of muscle tissue and help blood flow to some degree and have muscles contract and relax,) it's the ratio that seems to matter more. Most people eating the Standard American Diet are getting a ratio of 1:20 (3 to 6) or even higher when the "ideal range" is anywhere from 1:1 to 1:4. If that ratio is screwed up or too high, then it can cause inflammation in the body and other various biological processes to not work properly.

 

Carrots are good for acne for different reasons other than the omega-3 ratio (the Vitamin A.) I can't imagine it would screw your Omega-3:6 balance unless you're ONLY eating carrots. And even then, all you would really have to do is pop a couple of fish oil pills or have some flax to rebalance that ratio again.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

 

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MemberMember
4
(@dotty1)

Posted : 04/06/2011 6:40 pm

Here are a few more:

 

 

Omega 3 : Omega 6

 

Brown Medium Grain Rice

77.9mg : 1744mg

 

White potato

26.9mg : 80.7mg

 

I wonder if all grains have such a bad Omega 3 to 6 ratio? This seems to be only another indicator that grains ideally should not be present in the diet (or so common in the diet).

 

I make this last statement because I notice at least half of Celiacs on the message boards are not healing properly even when on a gluten-free diet and some researchers suggest Celiac Disease might be as common as 1 in 7 in the US.

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Guest
0
(@Anonymous)

Posted : 04/06/2011 6:41 pm

ok thnx dude, i cant imagine how can one calculate those ratios n balance on daily basis tho @_@ but k.

 

in a pic thats u or someone? anyhow some damn good skin that guy has indeed

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MemberMember
2
(@ariventa)

Posted : 04/06/2011 7:10 pm

Yeah, but it's in ALA form. EPA and DHA is kinda what we need, which is why if you want optimal health, you really need animal products or those derived from animals.

 

 

You need ALL forms and a good ratio of all 3 (well there's more than ALA/EPA/DHA, but they're found in varied amounts in plenty of foods.) EPA/DHA isn't "kinda" what you need, it's 2/3s of what you need. ALA supports dermal (skin) strength, so anyone suffering from ANY skin condition, better be getting enough Alpha-Linoleic Acids. ALA helps synthesize enzymes by the pancreas, not to mention a bunch of acids necessary for normal health function. To rule ALA out because it's not EPA/DHA is just stupid, considering ALA is involved in a multitude of functions in the human body, including making your kidneys able to filter blood (another aspect of acne.) I've never once seen anything recommending that people only need to balance their Omega-3 EPA/DHA ratio to Omega-6s. Frankly any Omega-3 acid that's helping to contribute to your omega-3:omega-6 ratio balance is doing good to your body.

 

Also ALA partially converts to EPA/DHA in the body (I think I read it's something like 10-15%.)

 

 

 

 

You need to read more closely, or comprehend better. I never said to rule out ALA, but people should realize that vegetable sources are ONLY ALA, when the other two, especially DHA, are incredibly important and, for the most part, found in animal sources. DHA being the most critical to brain function, and the brain has a tendency to control and regulate the majority of our bodily processes.

 

My post was an addendum.

 

Anyways, the conversion rate is impossible to quantify, so it should never be relied on. 10% is usually only only ALA to EPA, then EPA needs to be converted to DHA which may be 1-2%, and this is generally thought conversion rate for a female of optimum health taking in all needed nutrients and enzymes. For men, it will be much less. Plus, anyone living in an industrialized nation likely does not have optimal health (pollution, indoor lighting, etc.) so relying on the ALA conversion is a very poor bet. Also, anyone with acne does not have optimal health, so it can safely be assumed the conversion rates is poor, at best, for this population.

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MemberMember
410
(@alternativista)

Posted : 04/07/2011 9:45 am

Remember, Omega-6s aren't inherently bad (they're found in a lot of muscle tissue and help blood flow to some degree and have muscles contract and relax,) it's the ratio that seems to matter more.

 

Omega 6 EFAs are essential, in fact. It is just that we get too much of them in our (and our livestock's) grain based diet. So I just limit those, eat some fish and don't worry about it.

 

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MemberMember
14
(@vanbelle)

Posted : 04/09/2011 5:58 pm

You need to read more closely, or comprehend better. I never said to rule out ALA, but people should realize that vegetable sources are ONLY ALA, when the other two, especially DHA, are incredibly important and, for the most part, found in animal sources. DHA being the most critical to brain function, and the brain has a tendency to control and regulate the majority of our bodily processes.

 

My post was an addendum.

 

Anyways, the conversion rate is impossible to quantify, so it should never be relied on. 10% is usually only only ALA to EPA, then EPA needs to be converted to DHA which may be 1-2%, and this is generally thought conversion rate for a female of optimum health taking in all needed nutrients and enzymes. For men, it will be much less. Plus, anyone living in an industrialized nation likely does not have optimal health (pollution, indoor lighting, etc.) so relying on the ALA conversion is a very poor bet. Also, anyone with acne does not have optimal health, so it can safely be assumed the conversion rates is poor, at best, for this population.

 

I don't think he implied that you were ruling out ALA...he quoted you on "kinda"...but for what it's worth I think you both sound competent. I'll have to do more research on the various forms of fat myself. Thanks both of you for the info

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MemberMember
0
(@rfken319)

Posted : 04/12/2011 8:37 am

chunkylard, was balancing out omega 3s to 6s THE final thing you did before becoming clear?

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MemberMember
410
(@alternativista)

Posted : 04/17/2011 12:40 pm

Chia seed is also high in omega 3s

 

As is Purslane, a very nutritious, citrusy flavored weed that may be growing in a garden or sidewalk crack near you. Also mucilaginous (contains mucilage) which means it helps with mucin linings of digestive tract and elsewhere in the body. So does Chia, flax, fenugreek. If it's a slimy veggie or other plant part or absorbs a lot of water and turns to a gel like many seeds do, it's mucilaginous.

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MemberMember
0
(@seeking2012)

Posted : 12/05/2012 5:17 pm

For those of you worried about your Omega-3 intake, here's something to ease your mind. Did you know vegetables also contains Omega-3s? Here's a short list of common vegetables and their Omega-3 : Omega-6 amounts. I'll probably update this list with more foods. Most people say strive for a ratio of 1:2 Omega-3s to Omega-6s, but anywhere from 1:1 to 1:4 is generally acceptable.

All Omega-3/6 amounts are in Milligrams (mg) and a serving size of 1 cup.

Omega-3 : Omega-6

Left side : Right side

Spinach:

41 : 7.8

Broccoli (including the stalk):

166.1 : 58.4

Broccoli Leaves:

36 : 10.6

Carrots:

18 : 128.5

Collard Greens:

38.9 : 29.5

Cabbage (Red):

40 : 30.3

Cabbage (Savoy:

24.8 : 18.6

Kale:

121 : 92.4

Green bell peppers:

11.9 : 80.6

Red bell peppers:

37.2 : 67

Flaxseed (ground)

38033 : 9803

Evil plants:

Corn:

24.6 : 835

Slice of whole wheat bread:

139 : 1148

Soybean:

2460 : 18441

 

Ok this is a great post but here's the problem; it doesn't look at the big picture. Most people are concerned about omega 3s and 6s because they want to balance their Omega 3:6 ratio in their overal diet. You can't do this with vegetables alone unless you are vegan or vegetarian.

These foods you listed barely contain any fat at all (the evil section is right on though). So if you are planning on eating these foods in order to balance out your overal dietary ratio of omega 3 to 6, you're going to need to eat WHOPPING amounts of them... And here is why. Everything else you eat has way more fat in it compared to the fat content found in these veggies, and the omega 3:6 ratio in most foods is gonna be way imbalanced in favor of omega 6.

Eggs, beef, chicken, pork, bread, vegetable oils, flour, and most things that most Americans eat every day have WAY more Omega 6s than 3s. So you're gonna need to do two things in order to bring your Omega 3:6 back in balance:

1. Eat more foods that have medium to high fat content, and most of that fat is going to need to be Omega-3 (fish, flax seed)

2. Reduce consumption of foods that contain nearly all omega 6s: beef, pork, chicken, eggs

The following foods are medium-to-high in fat, and most of this fat is Omega-3 EFAs (essential fatty acids):

Flax Seeds, Salmon, Sardines, Halibut, Scallops, Shrimp, Tofu, Tuna

In the old days when we were still farmers, we got a lot more Omega 3s in our diets because the cows were fed grass instead of grain and soy and the chickens were allowed to forrage and eat insects instead of whatever they are fed now (grain and soy and some other stuff?), so the beef, chicken, and eggs had a much better ratio of Omega 3:6.

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