What Oil Does Your Dog Need? You certainly have choices, but the big issue is the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 in your dogs diet. Here is an excerpt from an article by Dr. Mercola: Always remember omega-3 fats are essential to your, and your childrens, health.The best source for omega-3 is krill oil as, unlike other sources such as walnuts or flax seeds, it is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases.The human brain is also highly dependent on DHA - low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimers. Generally, our diets contain not only far too little omega-3, but far too many omega-6 fats. Experts looking at the dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids suggest that in early human history the ratio was about 1:1. Currently most Americans eat a dietary ratio that falls between 20:1 and 50:1. The optimal ratio is most likely closer to the original ratio of 1:1. For most of us this means not only increasing our omega-3 intake through fish oil, but also greatly reducing the omega-6 fatty acids we consume. Please recognize that we get ALL the omega-6 (and omega-9) fat we need from food. We do NOT need to take any supplements for these fats. Many of the omega fat supplements you see in health food stores will only serve to worsen your health, not improve it, as they contain omega-6 fats that will only worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. I strongly recommend avoiding sunflower, corn, soy, safflower, and canola oil,and products that contain these oils. This also means no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, no margarine, no vegetable oil and no shortening. These oils are full of omega-6 fats and will only worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Acceptable oils include high-quality extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, and organic butter... or better yet, grass-fed organic butter. Another way to improve your omega 6:3 ratio is to change the type of meat you are eating. Since I cant recommend fish due to their high levels of mercury and other toxins these days, the best meats are those raised primarily or entirely on grass diets. Nearly all cattle found in grocery stores and restaurants are grain-fed before slaughter, so if you eat this type of beef, it will typically worsen your omega 6:omega 3 ratio.Though it may sound unusual to some, two of the best meats on the planet -- in terms of nutrition value and their incredible taste -- are bison and ostrich. And on Mercola, I offer bison meat and our exclusive omega-3-rich ostrich meat, both of which are free-ranged, fed primarily grass/alfalfadiets, and contain no antibiotics or steroids. Whether from my site or elsewhere, I urge you to try bison and ostrich. You can also consume a more gamey meat like venison, or try grass-fed beef, which I also highly recommend on Mercola. The grass-fed beef I recommend is even higher in omega-3 than fish, with a 6:3 ratio of 0.16 to 1 (this information is from a study done at Iowa State University in August 2001). It is still hard to find in grocery stores, however, and unlike bison and ostrich -- which both taste like prime beef -- some find the taste of grass-fed beef too lean. On a side-note, you should be cautious of stores advertising grass-fed beef that really isnt true grass-fed. ALL cattle are grass-fed to some small extent, but the key is what they are fed months prior to being processed. Most all cattle are shipped to giant feed lots and fed corn to fatten them up. Your best bet is to call the person who actually grew the beef, NOT the store manager, to find out the truth. Another effective way to determine if the meat is really from a grass-fed animal is to purchase the ground beef and slowly cook it until its done, then drain and collect all the fat. Grass-fed beef will contain a relatively small amount of such fat compared to traditionally prepared ground beef (which is why some find the taste of grass-fed too lean!) In summary: 1) Most Americans, young and old, are highly deficient in omega-3, and one of the best things you can do for yourself and your children is routinely consume fish oil in warm months and cod liver oil in cool months, as they are high in the best kind of omega-3. 2) You should cut out or reduce the oils and foods high in omega-6 fats, as Americans get far too much of them. This includes corn, sunflower, soy, canola and safflower oil, margarine, vegetable oil, and shortening. 3) You shouldeat healthy meats, as store-bought beef and other common meats can worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Bison and ostrich are two great-tasting and very healthy choices, and game animals or beef that is truly grass-fed are other good options. The above is found at the following link (theres another article above it, so youll have to scroll down…or read both!: articles.mercola/sites/articles/archive/2002/04/03/evolution.aspx
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 23:56:08 +0000