OMEGA 3.6.9 softgels provide an unique blend of evening primrose and borage seed oils containing over 16% of their fatty acids as important gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and wild fish oils containing over 30% of their fatty acids as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) This unique blend provides the ideal 1:1 ratio of GLA/EPA/DHA as found in human tissue.
Enerex’s proprietary blend has been market tested for over 25 years including several clinical trials. Recently there have been many products trying to duplicate this unique formula but none have provided the ideal ratio of essential fatty acids as found in this formula. Most imitators use flax seed oil as filler rather than the far more expensive evening primrose oil. Flax seed oil has no therapeutic benefit as none on the fatty acids in flax seed oil are the metabolically active forms of Omega 3 or 6 fatty acids such as EPA/DHA/DPA or GLA. These imitators provide only 80 mg of GLA per softgel (from borage oil) compared to the ideal 120 mg per softgel as found in Enerex’s Omega 3-6-9. Finally very few of these imitators include vitamins E, D and A, necessary for maximum benefit.
Like vitamins, essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required for life. They must come from foods or supplements, because the human body cannot make them. Linoleic acid (LA) and alpha linolenic acid ( ALA ) are EFAs, but the body cannot use them in that form; they must first be transformed to the active forms of GLA and EPA/DHA. The production of GLA from dietary LA and EPA/DHA from ALA occurs only slowly, or may be blocked entirely in many people. Yet GLA and EPA are necessary precursors in the production of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate vital cell activities and determine the state of health of all cells, tissues and organs.
GLA is a precursor to the beneficial series I prostaglandins, hormone-like substances which are involved in a myriad of physiological functions including reducing platelet aggregation, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides, decreasing inflammation, balancing various hormone functions, and maintenance of a healthy immune system. For more information on the clinical uses of omega 3-6 please view: Omega 6 and 3 Essential Fatty Acids.
EPA and DHA are precursors to the beneficial series 3 prostaglandins which are also involved in a myriad of physiological functions including regulating blood pressure and blood platelets, water retention and immune function. DHA is important for the normal functions of brain and nerves, vision and hearing, adrenal function, sperm formation and thromboses, and lower blood triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
Vitamins A, D and E are also included in the formula as they are synergists to EFAs. Vitamin A is necessary for the health of all cells and is involved in vision, smell, hearing, taste, growth, bone development, cell differentiation & reproduction. Vitamin D functions as a hormone which regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism and helps maintain stable nervous system & heart action. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant protecting vitamin A and EFAs from oxidative damage. Vitamin E is vital to digestion & metabolism of unsaturated fats, and protects membrane integrity of cells in circulatory, digestive, respiratory, excretory & nervous systems.
Ratio between Omega 6 & Omega 3
In our dietary goal to provide these essential fatty acids during growth, pregnancy, lactation, or for therapeutic approach in the management of specific disease conditions, a balance of the omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids should be ensured. The correct balance is important to maintain normal cellular and other functions. The ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids in all cellular lipids is approximately 4:1 except in the central nervous system, where the ratio is nearer 1:1. Human milk samples from nine different countries showed a remarkable uniformity in the ratio of 5:1 in favour of the omega 6 fatty acids in the milk lipids in spite of the wide variations in the mother’s diet in the different countries. Human red blood cell membranes also show much the same ratio. While there is yet no clear-cut answer to what the correct balance should be, we can look at Nature to obtain guidelines on this important question. All the comparative data from various studies show a predominance of the omega 6 fatty acids over the omega 3. Since the omega 3 fatty acids are preferentially metabolized in the body, a ratio of 4:1 in favour of the omega 6 acids will ensure a balanced composition at the cellular level. Such a ratio recommendation would be applicable when the parent acids, linoleic and alpha-linolenic, are the predominant constituents in the diet. On the other hand, the longer chain derivatives such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), dihoma-gamma-linolenic cid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docsapentaenoic acid (DHA) are biologically more active and are incorporated into cell structures more efficiently. Also, the omega 3 acid, EPA, is preferentially incorporated into cell membranes at the expense of arachidonic acid. In situations where these longer chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are provided in the diet, a ratio of 1:1 between GLA & EPA/DHA would be desirable to ensure a correct balance at the cellular level.
In many people, the ability to convert essential fatty acids into their important derivatives is deficient. Saturated fats, cholesterol, trans (twisted) fatty acids, and sugar interfere with essential fatty acid conversion to derivatives. Lack of certain vitamins such as niacin (B3) and pyridoxine (B6) as well as deficiency of the minerals magnesium, zinc and copper makes conversion slow down or stop. Diabetics are poor converters and virus infections interfere with conversion. Ageing slows down the rate of essential fatty acid conversion. Everyone could benefit from supplementing their diet with GLA and EPA/DHA, from which the hormone-like prostaglandins are made.
The special blend of Evening Primrose Oil, Borage Oil, and Wild Fish Oils provide a balanced dietary source of these important essential fatty acid derivatives required to make prostaglandins, useful for conditions in which conversion is decreased or blocked. D-alpha tocopherol is added as an anti-oxidant, to protect the precious oils in this formula from destruction by light and oxygen.
NOTE: Omega-9 is oleic acid and is non-essential in humans. Virtually all animal and vegetable oils, including primrose and borage oil, contain oleic acid in varying degrees and there is no known deficiency in humans.
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Enerex products are housed in recyclable BPA-free PETE plastic containers to
provide the best protection against oxidation, moisture, sunlight, and
chemical migration from container to product. In all of these areas, PETE is
virtually equal to that of glass but without the larger environmental
footprint left by glass packaging. PETE plastic is far superior to that of
HDPE plastic in all regards; HDPE plastic is used for the majority of
products on the market. Unlike more costly PETE bottles, HDPE plastic
facilitates the immediate degradation of the product inside as it is not a
barrier to oxygen or moisture; studies also show high concentrations of
chemical migration from HDPE bottles to product relative to that of PETE and
glass bottles.
