Omega-3s in your cereal. Omega-3s in your cookies, your yogurt, your tuna, margarine and oil -- even your potato chips.

The label is likely to catch the eye of consumers, especially those who are concerned about their heart health. After all, the American Heart Association advises people who have cardiovascular disease or are at risk for developing it to consume at least one gram of omega-3 fatty acid each day.

Even the Food and Drug Administration is allowing companies to put a qualified heart-healthy claim on products that contain omega- 3s. They are fatty acids, a source of energy to your body's cells.

So why would a national nutrition watchdog group warn consumers to be wary of omega-3 claims on grocery store foods?

Because not all omega-3s are alike.

Only DHA and EPA omega-3s, that come primarily from fish, have been shown to prevent heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.

Yet manufacturers capitalize on the heart-healthy reputation of omega-3s to sell products that are heavily laden in ALA, found in flaxseed and other plants. Although ALA is not unhealthy, it hasn't been proven to have the same heart-healthy benefits as DHA and EPA, according to the American Heart Association.

This fall, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) called on the FDA to "require labels that disclose the amount and type of each omega-3 in the food."

"Until they do, consumers should be wary of generic omega-3 claims," advises CSPI in a press release.

Dr. Scott Deron, a cardiologist with The Heart Group in Lancaster, Pa., said he agrees with CSPI's call for more specific labeling and careful consumption.

The scientific research supports the use of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) omega-3 fatty acids for heart disease, Deron said.

These fatty acids, which come from fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon, can be consumed directly in fish or taken as a fish oil supplement.

Either way, EPA and DHA lowers triglycerides, which can contribute to heart disease; they reduce the likelihood of sudden cardiac death; and promote blood vessel health, Deron said.

The scientific evidence isn't absolute, Deron said, however, the statistical probability is high enough for cardiologists to use it.

"It's certainly now pretty much a standard of care agent for patients who have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease."

However, the same cannot be said for ALA, a fatty acid that comes from tofu, soybeans, canola, walnut and flaxseed.

Even though a small percentage of ALA turns to EPA and DHA in the body, there's no clinical proof that ALA by itself will lower triglycerides or prevent sudden heart attacks, said Dr. Michael Miller, director for the Center of Preventative Cardiology at University of Maryland Medical Center.

"I'm not saying flaxseed oil is bad," Miller said. "It's certainly better for you than palm oil or other saturated fats."

However, consumers should know what they are buying. If they are buying products because they want the heart-healthy benefits of DHA and EPA, they need to read carefully:

When they buy Kashi Mountain Medley Granola with cranberries, raisins, almonds, pecans and sunflower seeds, they need to read further than the front of the package claiming it has 300 mg of omega-3. They need to read the information on the back of the package near the bottom, where it says: Good Fats: "Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated including 300 mg of ALA Omega 3.

When they buy Voortman FlaxSeed Omega 3 cookies, they need to know that the omega-3s in the cookies are ALA, not the kinds that are proven to be heart-healthy. The smaller print states that there are 700 mg ALA omega-3 fatty acids in each cookie.

When they buy Breyers Smart! yogurt with DHA omega-3 scrawled across the front, consumers will have no idea how much DHA is in the yogurt because the label doesn't tell them. It is, however, the last ingredient behind locust bean gum, lemon juice concentrate, vegetable juice for color and DHA Algal Oil.

The American Heart Association recommends 1 gram of EPA and DHA fatty acids per day, an amount Deron thinks is conservative. To lower triglycerides, he uses 2-4 grams/day, though he warns patients that higher doses can cause some bleeding issues.

Patients need to be savvy consumers when buying omega-3 fish oils too, Deron warned. Cardiologists can now prescribe fish oil capsules, though sometimes buying them over the counter is less expensive.

Deron advises patients to only buy from companies that get their fish oil from wild fish caught in higher latitudes, where the water is less contaminated. He recommends Carlsons as a company that not only uses the best fish, but screens the supplement for many contaminants, including mercury.

"That's an important issue," Deron said. "It depends where you get your fish oil from, as to whether you are potentially doing more harm than good."

The FDA does not regulate the content of supplements, except to prevent companies from making specific health claims about the supplement. The consumer is forced to determine which companies are trustworthy.

When it comes to food products, companies are not required to list the kind of omega 3-s on the list of ingredients, unless they are additives, said Kimberly Rawlings, an FDA spokesperson. If they are naturally part of an ingredient, such as with flax or fish, the omega-3 does not have to be identified.

Nothing about the federal government's labeling policy requires the company to list how much omega-3 is in the product, unless a health claim is being made, she said.

If the product contains a health claim on its labels, then it must use the exact wording of the FDA claim:

"Supportive, but not conclusive, research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One serving of [name of food] provides [x] grams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. [See nutrition information for total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content.]"

Bottom line, Rawlings said, labeling must be truthful and not misleading to the public.

"If it (the label) says it contains omega-3, it needs to contain omega-3," said Rawlings. Even if the majority of the omega-3s are ALA, the statement is not untruthful, she said.

Rawlings said she was not allowed to say if the agency is currently reviewing any labeling claims.

E-mail Linda Espenshade at Lespenshade@Lnpnews.com.

Source: Intelligencer Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. Powered by Yellowbrix.

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