Vitamin B6 adequacy is critical, magnesium is also needed. Excess omega 6 competes for enzymes that help us make DHA & that is a bigger issue than lack of dietary DHA. EPA seems unnecessary metabolite
Thanks, Jennifer for assiduously predigesting Chris MasterJohn's work for us. I've read him before and he gets to be exhaustively deep into the subject. And yet, anyone researching on Omega 3 before, and on DHA, knows this is a difficult subject to ever feel one has mastered. There's always more turning up from further studies.
In the last 8 years I've tried to NOT supplement to obtain a sufficient amount of parent omega 3, or of the derivatives DHA and EPA, often the major components of "fish/krill oil" capsules. This is due to the ease with which omega-3 oils oxidize, which is fully more than 3 times as quickly as omega-6 oils, which already have a horrible reputation for being in a damaging state by the time they are consumed as a "vegetable oil". I'm just afraid that capsules containing the omega-3 oils may deliver only oxidized oils which will be worse than having no omega-3 content in the capsules at all. I do believe that with intake of quite fresh fish, meats, and yes, even vegetables, an adequate level of alpha-linolenic acid may be ingested and the body may derive the DHA and EPA from that parent oil, providing, as you advise, the minerals, vitamins and enzymes are on hand to aid in the task. Our bodies really do not need massive doses of these oils. Actually, I probably get enough just from eating 2 or 3 cans of sardines each week, provided the canning process preserved the oils sufficiently.
Regarding the hormone DHEA which you briefly mention as an aside: "And some dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for anyone over age 35 may be helpful for health too", I must mention that I had a scary exposure to this DHEA after reading some positive statements about it being just another one of the endogenously manufactured substances that appears in lower and lower quantities as we age, until it is non-existent at about the time of death from old age. From that recommendation, at about the age of 65, I began taking 25 mg/ day. After about a hear, I noticed a swelling in one breast, not normal for any male human. After a lot of research I decided it must be due to the DHEA, and commenced taking some things (progesterone and passion flower for two) and totally stopped the DHEA which I found out can be quite hormone disruptive in doses over 10 mg. I don't want your readers to be mislead by what you said without doing additional research on this DHEA. Now, Progesterone turned out to fix the problem and I stopped using it after about a year, but have also recently gone on it again due to self diagnosed high levels of estrogens from plant foods I'm fond of. Progesterone, in just 10 mg doses, seems to be quite safe for mature males, much safer than any doses of Testosterone or DHEA, but any hormone manipulation of course should be done with care or even under the care of a professional that can test and advise, such as you may do.
Thanks again for your insightful articles which I read often, and with great anticipation for additional perspectives on subjects that often are of great interest to me.
Thanks for your feedback. I will add a clarifier to my mg recommendation on the DHEA. Mine is based on older information at this point. I should look into it further, and yes, some progesterone for men can be a good thing.
I wasn't paying enough attention when I ordered 3 bottles of omega 3 from Vitacost and got a version with vitamin D3 in it, so I'm assuming that it is a cofactor as well, FWIW. Because I normally take 10,000IU every day separately, I'm refraining from taking one of the two 5,000IU tablets and getting 6,000IU from the misordered omega 3, for a bump to 11,000IU a day. Since my 25(OH)D levels have been around 50ng/ml rather than between 60 to 80, as I've seen referenced for the best level, I'm using the misorder to see how much more D3 I have to take to bump my 25(OH)D up a bit.
Adequate protein and magnesium are needed for vitamin D metabolism. And avoiding glyphosate is also a need as it likely is interfering with CYP enzymes that are needed.
Hi Jennifer, I remember when I was studying iodine I had the infamous methylation issue but also had to figure out pyroluria alongside it. I avoided almost all synthetic nutrients, going full dietary, with a firm focus on grass-fed liver for full B's/iron etc.. The problem was liver contained so much copper it unnerved me sometimes - pyroluria - so used molybdenum to remove it safely. From memory it was a capsule every month. Didn't take much but I sure knew it when I missed it (and so did my family.. :)
Thanks, Jennifer for assiduously predigesting Chris MasterJohn's work for us. I've read him before and he gets to be exhaustively deep into the subject. And yet, anyone researching on Omega 3 before, and on DHA, knows this is a difficult subject to ever feel one has mastered. There's always more turning up from further studies.
In the last 8 years I've tried to NOT supplement to obtain a sufficient amount of parent omega 3, or of the derivatives DHA and EPA, often the major components of "fish/krill oil" capsules. This is due to the ease with which omega-3 oils oxidize, which is fully more than 3 times as quickly as omega-6 oils, which already have a horrible reputation for being in a damaging state by the time they are consumed as a "vegetable oil". I'm just afraid that capsules containing the omega-3 oils may deliver only oxidized oils which will be worse than having no omega-3 content in the capsules at all. I do believe that with intake of quite fresh fish, meats, and yes, even vegetables, an adequate level of alpha-linolenic acid may be ingested and the body may derive the DHA and EPA from that parent oil, providing, as you advise, the minerals, vitamins and enzymes are on hand to aid in the task. Our bodies really do not need massive doses of these oils. Actually, I probably get enough just from eating 2 or 3 cans of sardines each week, provided the canning process preserved the oils sufficiently.
Regarding the hormone DHEA which you briefly mention as an aside: "And some dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for anyone over age 35 may be helpful for health too", I must mention that I had a scary exposure to this DHEA after reading some positive statements about it being just another one of the endogenously manufactured substances that appears in lower and lower quantities as we age, until it is non-existent at about the time of death from old age. From that recommendation, at about the age of 65, I began taking 25 mg/ day. After about a hear, I noticed a swelling in one breast, not normal for any male human. After a lot of research I decided it must be due to the DHEA, and commenced taking some things (progesterone and passion flower for two) and totally stopped the DHEA which I found out can be quite hormone disruptive in doses over 10 mg. I don't want your readers to be mislead by what you said without doing additional research on this DHEA. Now, Progesterone turned out to fix the problem and I stopped using it after about a year, but have also recently gone on it again due to self diagnosed high levels of estrogens from plant foods I'm fond of. Progesterone, in just 10 mg doses, seems to be quite safe for mature males, much safer than any doses of Testosterone or DHEA, but any hormone manipulation of course should be done with care or even under the care of a professional that can test and advise, such as you may do.
Thanks again for your insightful articles which I read often, and with great anticipation for additional perspectives on subjects that often are of great interest to me.
Thanks for your feedback. I will add a clarifier to my mg recommendation on the DHEA. Mine is based on older information at this point. I should look into it further, and yes, some progesterone for men can be a good thing.
Excellent information, Nutrition Goddess! Thank you!
Thanks Samantha!
You’re welcome! We TRULY appreciate you in our home.
I wasn't paying enough attention when I ordered 3 bottles of omega 3 from Vitacost and got a version with vitamin D3 in it, so I'm assuming that it is a cofactor as well, FWIW. Because I normally take 10,000IU every day separately, I'm refraining from taking one of the two 5,000IU tablets and getting 6,000IU from the misordered omega 3, for a bump to 11,000IU a day. Since my 25(OH)D levels have been around 50ng/ml rather than between 60 to 80, as I've seen referenced for the best level, I'm using the misorder to see how much more D3 I have to take to bump my 25(OH)D up a bit.
50 ng/ml is good too
Adequate protein and magnesium are needed for vitamin D metabolism. And avoiding glyphosate is also a need as it likely is interfering with CYP enzymes that are needed.
Hi Jennifer, I remember when I was studying iodine I had the infamous methylation issue but also had to figure out pyroluria alongside it. I avoided almost all synthetic nutrients, going full dietary, with a firm focus on grass-fed liver for full B's/iron etc.. The problem was liver contained so much copper it unnerved me sometimes - pyroluria - so used molybdenum to remove it safely. From memory it was a capsule every month. Didn't take much but I sure knew it when I missed it (and so did my family.. :)