From Udo Erasmus' book,
Explanation of chemical symbols:
18:3w3 = 18 carbon fatty acid with three double bonds at the 3, 6, and 9 carbon positions, and w3 means that first double bond is at 3. carbon position
w = [read "omega"]
Fat content and fatty acid composition of seed oils (%)
| fatty acid percentage in oil | ||||||||
| Seeds | Polyunsaturated | Monounsaturated | Saturated | |||||
| Name | Fat Content in seed (%) |
LNA 18:3w3 (%) |
LA 18:2w6 (%) |
LNA+LA w3+w6 (%) |
18:1w9 (%) |
18:0 (%) |
16:0 (%) |
Total (%) |
| hemp | 35 | 20 | 60* | 80 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| chia | 30 | 30 | 40 | 70 | - | - | - | - |
| kukui | 30 | 29 | 40 | 69 | - | - | - | - |
| flax | 35 | 58 | 14 | 72 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| pumpkin | 46.7 | 0-15 | 42-57 | 57 | 34 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| soybean | 17.7 | 7 | 50 | 57 | 26 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| walnut | 60 | 5 | 51 | 56 | 28 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| wheat germ | 10.9 | 5 | 50 | 55 | 25 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| evening primrose | 17 | - | 81** | 81 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| safflower | 59.5 | - | 75 | 75 | 13 | 12 | - | 12 |
| sunflower | 47.3 | - | 65 | 65 | 23 | 12 | - | 12 |
| grape | 20 | - | 71 | 71 | 17 | 12 | - | 12 |
| corn | 4 | - | 59 | 59 | 24 | 17 | - | 17 |
| sesame | 49.1 | - | 45 | 45 | 42 | 13 | - | 13 |
| rice bran | 10 | 1 | 35 | 36 | 48 | 17 | - | 17 |
| cottonseed | 40 | - | 50 | 50 | 21 | 25 | - | 25 |
| rape(canola) | 30 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 54*** | 7 | - | 7 |
| peanut | 47.5 | - | 29 | 29 | 47 | 18 | - | 18 |
| almond | 54.2 | - | 17 | 17 | 78 | 5 | - | 5 |
| olive | 20 | - | 8 | 8 | 75 | 16 | - | 16 |
| avocado | 12 | - | 10 | 10 | 70 | 20 | - | 20 |
| coconut | 35.3 | - | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 91 | 91 |
| palm kernel | 35.3 | - | 2 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 85 | 85 |
| beech | 50 | - | 32 | 32 | 54 | 8 | - | 8 |
| brazil | 66.9 | - | 24 | 24 | 48 | 24 | - | 24 |
| pecan | 71.2 | - | 20 | 20 | 63 | 7 | - | 7 |
| pistachio | 53.7 | - | 19 | 19 | 65 | 9 | - | 9 |
| hickory | 68.7 | - | 17 | 17 | 68 | 9 | - | 9 |
| filbert | 62.4 | - | 16 | 16 | 54 | 5 | - | 5 |
| macadamia | 71.6 | - | 10 | 10 | 71 | 12 | - | 12 |
| cashew | 41.7 | - | 6 | 6 | 70 | 18 | - | 18 |
| neem | 40 | 1 | 20 | 21 | 41 | 20 | - | 20 |
* Includes up to 2% GLA - Gamma Linolenic Acid
** Includes 9% GLA
*** Includes up to 5%erucic acid
| Linoleic Acid (LA) Deficiency Symptoms: |
Alpha Linolenic Acid (LNA) Deficiency Symptoms: |
Prolonged absence of LA from diet is fatal. All of the deficiency symptoms (except death) can be reversed by adding LA back to the diet from which it was missing. LA is found in safflower, sunflower, hemp, soybean,walnut, pumpkin, sesame, and flax. Safflower and sunflower are the richest source of LA. |
These symptoms can be reversed by adding LNA back to the diet from which it was missing. Other symptoms that can result from LNA (or w3) deficiency include :
These are not considered 'classic' symptoms of w3 deficiency, but often respond remarkably well to w3 supplementation. LNA is five times more unstable than LA and modern people consume 10 times less LNA then LA. LNA is found in flax, hemp seed, canola(rape seed), soybean, walnut and dark-green leaves. Flax seed is the richest source, containing over 50% of its fatty acids as LNA. Chia and kukui (candlenut) oils contains about 30% LNA. Hemp seed oil contains about 20% LNA. Pumpkin seed oil contains between 1% and 15% LNA. Canola oil contains up to 10% LNA and Walnut oil contains between 3% and 11% LNA. |
A lot has been said about fats, much of it confusing, some of it misleading. You should have a clear, sensible approach to fat consumption in a healthy diet by following these simple guidelines:
| Ratio: | Omega3 | : | Omega 6 |
| LNA | : | LA | |
| Modern diet: from | 1 |
: | 10 |
up to |
1 | : | 50 |
| Our needs: | 1 | : | 2 |
| Flaxseed oil | 4 | : | 1 |
| Udo's Choice | 2 | : | 1 |
| hemp oil | 1 | : | 3 |
| sunflower | 0 | : | 65 |
| safflower | 0 | : | 75 |
| corn | 0 | : | 59 |
| Olive oil | 0 | : | 8 |
| Canola (Rape seed) | 1 | : | 4 |
| soybeen | 1 | : | 7 |
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) Chemical Formulas
This EFA is
called Linoleic Acid (LA) and is poly-unsaturated. LA is an 18 carbon chain
fatty acid with two double bonds in the middle and is missing four hydrogen atoms, all on
one side. The first double bond occurs after the 6th carbon atom. Because of
this, LA is sometimes referred to as the W6 EFA. Because of the four
missing hydrogen atoms, LA is even more bent than Oleic Acid, giving it a melting
temperature of 23 degrees F (-5C). LA is fairly unstable,
reacting with light and oxygen.
This is
Alpha
Linolenic Acid (LNA). It is an 18 carbon fatty acid with three double bonds at the 3,
6, and 9 carbon positions. LNA is missing 6 hydrogen atoms, again all from one side.
Because of the first double bond occurring at the 3rd carbon atom, LNA is sometimes
referred to as the W3 EFA. It is sometimes referred to as a super unsaturated fatty
acid (SUFA), even though it is also poly-unsaturated. Because LNA is bent more than the
others, it has the lowest melting point of the three, 10 degrees F (-12 C). (I have a
bottle of it in my freezer and it is still liquid!). LNA is 5 times more unstable than LA
and quickly goes rancid if exposed to light or oxygen. It is so unstable, in fact, that
when it is pressed from the seeds that possess it, the pressing must be done in the total
absence of light and oxygen. It must be handled in this way right through to the packaging
stage, then quickly refrigerated or frozen.
