Are There Special Effects for ALA
Presently, there is some discussion about of whether a short chain—or shorter chained form of omega 3s called Alpha Linoleic acid, or ALA, also is good for your health. And yes, all polyunsaturated fats are good for your health if not in excess. But all the positive functions we hither to have found related to omega 3s, all relates to EPA and DHA. We have not found any special effect of ALA and the question is, therefore, can ALA if you take it as an oil—grapeseed oil or whatever—with a high ALA content be just as good as fish oil for these health issues and the question—it’s a complicated issue—but the question, to cut it down, is no, it isn’t because we can, as humans, convert ALA to EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is very low, very low. Below 1% of what you eat of it—below .5% of what we eat of it is converted further up to these beneficial long chains. So if you should add, and those I think you should to your diet by eating these omega 3s, you have to take them as EPA and DHA and not as ALA. Quite recently, there was a big review in the famous, very known American cardiology journal and the conclusion was that EPA and DHA, but not ALA, has beneficial influence on coronary health.