The Best Essential Fatty Acid Supplements for Better Health

Essential fatty acid supplements can significantly improve your health and should be a part of every guy's daily diet. As I've mentioned before, there are only five nutritional supplements that I believe are necessary for optimal health and essential fatty acids are one of them.

Essential fatty acids are the "good fats" that are necessary for hundreds of bodily processes, and must be provided by your diet because the body can't produce these fats on its own. They support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune and nervous systems. And believe it or not, they also help burn more body fat. I can't emphasize enough the importance of taking a daily essential fatty acid supplement.

If you're new to the world of fats, it may seem odd that I'm recommending you get more fat in your diet by taking an essential fatty acid supplement. All fats aren't created equal. There are good fats and there are bad fats. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are the essential fatty acids that are the good fats. There is a third semi-essential fatty acid called Omega 9. It's considered semi-essential because the body can produce its own provided there is enough Omega 3 and Omega 6 present in the body. The bad fats are saturated fats and hydrogenated fats that you always hear about.

By taking daily essential fatty acid supplements, you will be providing your body the necessary good fats it needs to perform hundreds of bodily processes efficiently and effectively.

There are a variety of food sources that contain essential fatty acids, but oils have the richest sources. There are two primary oils that you should consider using on a daily basis as an essential fatty acid supplement - Udo's Choice Oil Blend and Flora Flax Oil.

Udo's Choice Oil Blend

Udo Erasmus, Ph.D., the world expert on oils in nutrition, introduced the importance of essential fatty acids starting in the mid-1980's. Much of the information we know about the benefits of essential fatty acids are because of him. His groundbreaking book, Fats that Heal Fats that Kill, is the industry's bible on fats. If you want to know everything there is to know on these fats, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of his book.

Nutritionists are now finding that imbalances of Omega 3 and Omega 6 in your diet can negate their healthful benefits! Most Americans obtain an excess of omega 6 in their diets at the expense of omega 3 fatty acids. There seems to be some debate on what is the perfect balance of these essential fatty acids. Some researchers and nutritionists suggest that the perfect ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is 1:4 (one Omega 3 to four Omega 6).

Erasmus says that in his practice in working with people, the ratio that gives the best results consistently comes from oils blended to be richer in Omega 3 (but not too rich) than Omega 6. He suggests the optimal ratio is 2:1 in favor of Omega 3 (two Omega 3 to one Omega 6) so he developed his own oil blend - Udo's Choice Oil Blend.

This is a very high quality oil blend made from organic and cold pressed oils. This is very important because you don't want oils pressed from chemically grown seeds and you don't want oils pressed at high temperatures as heat destroys the healthful benefits of the oils. Udo's Choice Oil Blend is a certified organic blend of guaranteed GMO-free, unrefined edible oils from fresh flax, sesame and sunflower seeds, as well as oils from evening primrose, rice germ and oat germ. The seeds are pressed at a temperature of less than 120°F (or 50°C) and in the absence of light and oxygen (light and oxygen also destroys essential fatty acids).

Udo's Choice Oil Blend is an essential fatty acid supplement made by Flora. It comes in oil or capsule form. I recommend the oil form because you'll have to take several capsules a day to get the equivalent amount of essential fatty acids that you get in the oil. A serving of the oil blend is one tablespoon, and you get 10g of polyunsaturated fat (6.4g Omega 3 and 3.2g Omega 6) and 3g of monounsaturated fat (Omega 9). Udo's Choice Oil Blend comes in 8.5, 17, and 32 ounce bottles (17, 34, and 64 servings respectively).

This essential fatty acid supplement is packaged in amber, glass bottles with a "consume before" date on the label. It should be refrigerated or kept in the freezer. Once opened, it is best consumed within 4-8 weeks. It will keep without spoiling or taste deterioration for over a year if frozen. The reason it needs to be refrigerated or kept in the freezer is because heat, light, and oxygen rapidly destroys these oils.

Udo's Choice Oil Blend has a light nutty flavor and is easily mixed with health shakes, protein drinks, or added as a topping to salads and vegetables. Again, you do not want to heat the oil or use it for frying because heat destroys it.

You can find Udo's Choice Oil Blend in any health store but you'll get the best prices online. If you buy this essential fatty acid supplement at your local retail health store, you'll pay between $20 - $27 for a 17 ounce bottle, or roughly $.59 - $79 per serving. You can get a 32 ounce bottle for only $24.98 at MuscleSurf.com - that's only $.39 per serving!

*A note on ordering essential fatty acid supplement oils online: Although Udo's Choice Oil Blend and Flora Flax Oil should be refrigerated, I have been assured from Flora, the maker of both oils, that if you order them online they will be fine during shipping without being refrigerated. They only need to be refrigerated after they are opened, but Flora recommends you store unopened bottles of both products in the refrigerator as well for optimal freshness. I keep the bottles I'm using in the refrigerator and all my unopened bottles in the freezer (these oils thaw very quickly when you move them to the refrigerator).

Flora Flax Oil

Flax seed and the oil pressed from it are the richest sources of Omega 3. Not only is flax oil rich in Omega 3, but it also contains Omega 6. Flora Flax Oil is made by the same makers of Udo's Choice Oil Blend. Why is that important to know? Udo's Choice Oil Blend has a reputation as being the highest quality essential fatty acid supplement you can find.

The same company and the same sophisticated oil pressing plant used to make Udo's Choice Oil Blend is the same company and plant behind Flora Flax Oil. For this reason, you can be assured that Flora Flax Oil has the same quality that Udo's Choice Oil Blend has. Flora Flax Oil is pressed in a state-of-the-art low heat (cold pressed), light, and oxygen free environment for a super high-quality oil. It is then bottled in the same amber glass bottles used for Udo's Choice Oil Blend to ensure maximum nutritional value and freshness.

The biggest differences between Udo's Choice Oil Blend and Flora Flax Oil is the essential fatty acid profile and the price. A serving of Flora Flax Oil is one tablespoon and has 10g of polyunsaturated fat (8g of Omega 3 and 2g of Omega 6) and 3g of monounsaturated fat (Omega 9). You'll notice the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 is 4:1 vs. 2:1 in Udo's Choice Oil Blend. So is this good or bad?

While there is debate among nutritionists as to what is the best ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6, there is one thing they all agree on - most Americans get too much Omega 6 in their diet at the expense of Omega 3. Most Western diets range between 10 and 20 to 1 in favor of omega 6! Most of us need to increase our intake of Omega 3 and decrease our intake of Omega 6. Considering Udo's Choice Oil Blend and Flora Flax Oil are essential fatty acid supplements with similar Omega 3 and Omega 6 ratios, and considering both can alter your diet in favor of Omega 3 fatty acids, either one will work to your benefit.

The reason Udo's Choice Oil Blend costs so much more is because it is a very sophisticated essential fatty acid supplement that contains more than flax oil. It has sunflower and sesame oils, medium chain triglycerides, rice germ/bran oil and oat germ/bran oils, evening primose oil, lechithin and tocotrienols. Each one of these ingredients has their own potential health benefits. For example, research shows that medium chain triglycerides may lead to an increased metabolic rate when replacing other dietary fats. What you have to decide is if you think the added ingredients are worth the extra dollars. I recommend you try them both to see which one works best for you.

Flora Flax Oil has a fresh nutty taste and can be easily used in salad dressings, sauces, protein shakes, and in place of butter on bread and vegetables. It should be refrigerated or kept in the freezer. Opened bottles should be consumed within two months, while unopened bottles can remain fresh for up to a year in the freezer. This essential fatty acid supplement is easily destroyed by heat, light, and oxygen. That is why it needs to be refrigerated or frozen - and why you should not use it for frying.

Flora Flax Oil comes in 8.5, 17, and 32 ounce bottles (17, 34, and 64 servings respectively). This essential fatty acid supplement can be found in any health store but again, you'll get the best deals buying it online. It You can get a 32 ounce bottle of Flora Flax Oil for only $16.98 at MuscleSurf.com - that's only $.26 per serving! 

Essential Fatty Acids - An overview of what they are and a list of their many health benefits
Omega 3 Fatty Acid - Why we need more in our diet, health benefits of, and natural food sources
Omega 6 Fatty Acid - Why we need less in our diet, health benefits of, and natural food sources
Omega 9 Fatty Acid - The health benefits of and natural food sources

Essential Fatty Acids
Omega 3 Fatty Acid (Alpha-Linolenic Acid, or LNA or ALA)
Omega 6 Fatty Acid (Linoleic Acid, or LA)
Omega 9 Fatty Acid (Oleic Acid)