Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly are essential fatty acids?

Essential fatty acids are vital nutrients critical for health. When a nutrient is classified as essential it means that the body needs it to function properly but the body cannot make it for itself and we must provide for it in the form of food or as supplement.

Strictly speaking, there are only two essential fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from the Omega 3 family and linoleic acid (LA) from the Omega 6 family. Using the ALA and LA our body can make the other fatty acids in the respective Omega 3 and Omega 6 families. However, most people also classify the other fatty acids in the Omega 3 family (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid more commonly know as EPA and DHA) and the Omega 6 family (gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, dihomogamma-linolenic acid) as essential fatty acids as well.

Q: Why aren’t people getting essential fatty acids in their food?

Most of us just don't eat as healthy as we are told we should, or as well as we think we do. Most people are too busy to plan their meals and will with little hesitation include ‘fat free’, ‘fast food’ and processed foods in their daily diet. Take for example, health organisation guidelines commonly advise people to take at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and according to a survey done in the USA most people are just not doing that. We believe this situation is universal and not only confined to USA.

If we eat healthily to provide the body with the nutrients required to perform optimally, then we would most likely not need to supplement (assuming that the soil is not deficient of nutrients and the fruits are not picked green). So although essential fatty acid can be obtained from many food sources like avocados, ground flax seeds, raw nuts and seeds, dark green vegetables like kale and broccoli, deep water fish, extra virgin olive oil, flax seed oil, and other pure properly processed oils, supplementation still makes good sense especially for those of us who cannot fit three nutritious meals into our hectic lifestyle. Taking supplements is like having a health insurance to ensure that we are getting the essential nutrients we need for the body to perform its work.

A deficiency in essential nutrients won’t kill us instantly but it will surely affect our health adversely over time. The body needs the essential fatty acids as raw material to do its work every single day of our lives. When these are missing over a long period of time, we get off balance, our entire body slows down and we will experience ‘dis ease’ eg., tiredness, depression, anxiety, skin problems and many others. These are the very first sign of imbalance.

Q: Does everybody need fat?

Yes, everybody needs fat. Without the right kind of fat our health will be adversely affected. Fat like carbohydrate and protein are macronutrients that provides the body with energy. We have been taught that we need carbohydrates and protein to maintain health but most of us know very little about fat. We have been conditioned to think that fat is bad and we are all confused and scared of fat. Fat is critical for health and we need to provide our body with sufficient amounts of fat daily because our body needs fat as raw material to function properly. When a nutrient is a macronutrient it means that we need a generous amount daily (ie., in terms of a tablespoonful rather than just a pinch).

Infants and children need fats for proper brain and nerve tissue development and for growth.

Adolescents and young adults need fats for hormone production and for reproductive maintenance. In women, a shortage of body fat can affect their ability to reproduce. Research shows that anorexics, and other women with minimal reserves of body fat, have rare or non-existent periods.

At all ages, fats:
  • are needed inside every cell in our bodies and are especially necessary for the growth of the fetal brain
  • are an important source of energy (especially long-term energy)
  • help in the absorption, and transportation of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) through the bloodstream
  • help to insulate our bodies to keep us warm
  • add taste and texture to foods
  • make us feel full longer
  • help moisture retention in healthy skin and hair
  • help acts as a padding to protect our organs
  • provide the raw materials that help in the control of blood pressure, blood clotting, inflammation, and other body functions
In fact, fat is so critical for health that we cannot function optimally without fat. But like all things, there needs to be a balance and we need to learn to distinguish what fat is good for us and what fat we must avoid. The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are classified as 'essential fatty acids' and these two groups of fat play a crucial role in many bodily functions, including brain function, as well as normal growth and development.

Studies show that our brain has a high percentage of fat, some experts say that our brain is more than 50% fat. Without proper amount of fat our brain will not be able to function optimally. Researchers are finding strong associations between lack of essential fatty acids in our diet and human dysfunctions such as depression, learning disabilities, anxiety, increased blood pressure and much more.

We know that not all fat are good for us and we need to learn to differentiate the different types of fat.

Q: What’s the difference between the good fat and other types of fat? How can I tell what is good fat and what is bad fat?

All fats and oil contain a combination of different fatty acids. The main types of fat are saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. There are also trans fats which are important for us to know and avoid. Trans fats are man made fat and they are present in a number of foods and are commonly linked to heart disease.

Saturated fats (SFA) are usually solid at room temperature and primarily come from animal foods such as meat, poultry, butter, and whole milk. Coconut and palm oils are also high in saturated fat. Saturated fat is responsible for raising cholesterol levels.

Monounsaturated fats (MUFA) are liquid at room temperature. Food sources of monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil, nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans), and avocados. Monounsaturated fats are considered ‘good’ fat because they help decrease the risk of heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) are liquid at room temperature and remain liquid in the refrigerator. Food sources of PUFA include vegetable oils (corn, soybean, sunflower), walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseed. The Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids come from this group but not all PUFA are essential fatty acids.

Trans fats (TFA) are man-made or processed fats which are made from a liquid oil. When we add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil and then add pressure to it we get a fat that is more solid at room temperature. This process is known as hydrogenation. Trans fats are also called hydrogenated fats. Trans fats can be found in cookies, crackers, icing, potato chips, margarine, microwave popcorn and in almost all processed foods.

Hydrogenated vegetable oils are more stable and give processed foods a longer shelf life and help keep crackers, biscuits and chips crisp longer. Numerous studies have found that trans fats raise our risk of heart disease and they can also contribute to an increase in total cholesterol levels and a drop in the healthy HDL cholesterol. These man-made fats are much worse for you than the natural saturated fats found in butter and meat sources. Avoid these at all costs!.

We should all aim to:
  • cut down or replace saturated fats with monounsaturated fats
  • provide our body with essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and Omega 6)
  • avoid trans fats and anything 'hydrogenated'
If you follow the above guideline our body knows what to do to keep everything in balance. Don't try to get overly technical. It is impossible for us to calculate and predict the exact amount of a particular fat needed by our body to get the best result. As long as we are getting the needed essential fatty acids and cut off the 'bad fats' we need not be too concerned with deficiency.

Q: How do we know if we are deficient in essential fatty acids? What are the EFA Deficiency Symptoms?

The symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency are not easy to identify, and can often be attributed to some other health conditions or nutrient deficiencies. Most people who are deficient in essential fatty acids don’t even realize that they are not consuming enough of the essential fatty acids. When in doubt always check with your health care professionals. There is equipment available that can test the nutrient level in your body.

Symptoms of Omega 3 deficiency include:
  • depression
  • fatigue
  • dry hair
  • dry/flaky/itchy skin
  • brittle nails
  • poor concentration
  • joint pain
Symptoms of Omega 6 deficiency include:
  • heart and circulatory problems
  • eczema-like skin eruptions
  • behavioural disturbances
  • slow wound healing
  • sterility in males
  • miscarriage in females
  • arthritis-like conditions

Q: Where can we find food sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6?

Food sources of Omega 3 include:
- flax seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- walnuts
- salmon
- tuna

Food sources of Omega 6 include:
- a range of cooking and salad oil like corn oil, soy bean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil
- walnuts
- kale
- broccoli

Whether we get the essential fatty acids from the food we eat or through supplements, the important thing is that we get the essential fatty acids into our body for it to do its work and for us to live a healthier life. Please remember that our body needs both the Omega 3 and the Omega 6 fatty acids and we cannot just substitute Omega 3 for Omega 6 or Omega 6 for Omega 3.

Q: If most vegetable oils contain Omega 6 then why do you have Omega 6 in your product?

It is true that our diet today is high in Omega 6 from vegetable oils we use in cooking and in our salad dressing. However, many factors in our modern lifestyle affect the body’s ability to produce the good Omega 6, gamma linolenic acid (GLA). So we have added Omega 6 in the form of Borage seed oil to our formulation because Borage seed oil has a high content of GLA.

Many people are currently taking supplement with GLA. For instance, the Evening primrose oil is a very popular supplement. Many women take it for their premenstrual tension. GLA is widely studied and has been clinically indicated to have therapeutic benefits in many other health conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetic neuropathy, cancer, skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. The body needs GLA and we are not getting enough of it from our diet.

Flax seed oil is a good source of ALA and Borage oil is a good source of GLA. Both ALA and GLA are in our Omega Trio formulation. Our oil blend is designed to provide a healthy fatty acid balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 for the body to do its work.

Q: What do you mean by natural vitamin E?

Vitamin E or any vitamin for that matter can either be natural or synthetic (man made). The technical name for Vitamin E in its natural form is d-alpha-tocopherol, while its synthetic forms are dl-alpha-tocopherol. Our body only recognizes the d form. Although the dl form has antioxidant activity, it may actually inhibit the d-form from entering cell membranes. Therefore, natural vitamin E (the d form) has greater benefit than the synthetic (dl). We have therefore chosen to use the natural (d-) form of vitamin E in our formulation.

Q: I often hear about oil going rancid, so what exactly does it mean to go rancid?

Well basically it’s gone bad - the oil smells and tastes bad. Essential fatty acids are unstable and when exposed to light, heat and air the fatty acids can turn rancid and go off very quickly. This is the reason why when we purchase oil in liquid form we have to refrigerate and consume it within a short period (usually weeks) to prevent it from going rancid.

Our oil is 100% fresh cold pressed just in time for encapsulation in small batches. Encapsulation protects the oil from being destroyed by oxygen. When the oil is encapsulated it has a much longer shelf life and it is in a much more convenient form for consumption.

Q: Tell me more about your oil and how you guarantee its quality?

We check for quality at every step of the process. We don't have oil sitting on the shelves as essential fatty acids are quite unstable and many factors can quickly affect the integrity of the oil. Our oil is 100% fresh cold expeller pressed. It is then stored in properly prepared nitrogen filled containers to ensure absence of oxgen. The nitrogen filled drum is placed in a temperature controlled cold room while waiting for the oil to be settled. Our oil is not exposed to light, heat or oxygen throughout the extraction process and it contains no solvent residues.

Our seeds are all grown in clean green New Zealand soil. It is important to us to be able to trace every batch of oil to the farm where the seeds are grown. The seed used to make our oil is not genetically modified. Our oil is encapsulated as soon as it settles and fully tested by an independent laboratory to ensure that our product meets strict microbiological standards for human consumption. Encapsulation further protects the oil against oxidisation and contamination. These procedures are put in place to ensure the integrity and freshness of our oil. It will be a challenge for you to find a fresher batch of oil capsules.

Another thing we do is produce our products in small batches so that they don’t sit on the shelves for too long and we can continually produce it fresh.

Finally, pesticides often gather in fats and oils, our flax seeds are grown in certified organic land and our borage seed is grown on ground with the same organic integrity.

Q: What is the difference between a deficiency and an imbalance of essential fatty acids?

A deficiency occurs when we lack Omega 3 or Omega 6 fatty acids. An imbalance occurs when we have too much Omega 3 or Omega 6. When it comes to essential fatty acids, an imbalance is just as bad as a deficiency. Researchers are now linking numerous health disorders including neurological disorders, cancer and arteriosclerosis to an imbalance of the essential fatty acids.

It is important to note that Omega 3 cannot be converted to Omega 6 and Omega 6 cannot be converted to Omega 3, so we need them both in balance.

Many studies are showing that most of us are lacking Omega 3 and taking in too much Omega 6 in our diet. Our formulation provides a 2.2 : 1 ratio Omega 3:Omega 6 to help correct this imbalance and also help prevent a deficiency.

We have the Organic Flax seed providing the Omega 3 fatty acid in the form of alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and the Omega 6 comes from the Borage Oil which has a high content of the beneficial gamma linolenic acid (GLA). ALA and GLA are both important fatty acids with the ALA being the 'parent' fatty acid in the Omega 3 family and the GLA is often referred to as the 'good' Omega 6 fatty acids.

Natural Vitamin E is added to our formulation as an antioxidant and as a natural preservative.

Site Policy  |  Wholesale Inquiries