by (Image credit: Natures Crops International.)
December 5, 2023 — Brain Lipid Research Team Suggests Dietary Ahiflower (Buglossoides arvensis) oil may be a valuable plant source to maintain tissue renewal of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) comparable to dietary DHA. New research determined that Ahiflower oil is as effective as purified marine-derived DHA in developing DHA in areas such as the liver, adipose tissue, and brain in mice.
While dietary Ahiflower oil does not contain DHA, research indicates that it can form DHA in tissues where mammals naturally produce, store or deploy DHA from plant-based omega-3s to support critical functions of the cell membrane, immune system. immunological and neurotransmitters.
Nutritional perspective sits down with Andrew Hebard, founder and CEO of Natures Crops International, which produces Ahiflower oil and collaborated on the study.
“This new research provides critical evidence that Ahiflower oil, because of its unique composition of omega-3 SDA (stearidonic acid), works as effectively as marine DHA in accumulating newly formed DHA in key tissues. “As the lead researchers have recognized, this disrupts what had been accepted as fact about the metabolism of plant-based omega-3s.”
“We hope the impact will be a much broader acceptance that incorporating SDA-containing oils into a complete and balanced omega nutrition is a very effective strategy.”
Hebard adds that measuring circulating blood DHA levels as the sole measure for efficient DHA biosynthesis in tissues does not provide an accurate assessment of other ways the body efficiently metabolizes SDA into DHA.
studio setup
The study, published in BBA – Molecular and Cellular Biology of Lipids, compared the synthesis of DHA from ahiflower flower, linseed and DHA oils. The researchers put pregnant mice on a diet of DHA algal oil and kept their pups on the diet until nine weeks of age.
The team then assigned mice to a diet containing Ahiflower oil, flaxseed, or marine DHA at realistic human-equivalent intakes and matched them for total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content.
After determining DHA levels in different tissues, the researchers found that DHA concentrations were higher in the liver and adipose tissue of animals fed DHA with no differences in dietary serum or brain.
DHA processing (measured in compound half-life), synthesis and turnover rates were not different between the Ahiflower and DHA diets, while they were significantly lower in the flaxseed oil diets.
Hiflower oil may help address omega-3 deficiencies without harming marine ecosystems (Image credit: Natures Crops International.).Leverage research results
Earlier this year, Natures Crops International surveyed leading omega-3 supplement brands to understand what additional support the company could provide to encourage broader adoption of Ahiflower in this space.
“We found that on price, supply chain reliability, sustainability, regenerative agriculture and sensory perception, we scored very high. The most important obstacle was the perception that humans must include the DHA declared on the label in their omega-3 supplements,” Hebard emphasizes.
“We believe this study can be leveraged to demonstrate that while DHA supplementation has clear merit, incorporating Ahiflower oil as part of a more complete and balanced omega-3 solution for brands is a compelling strategy.”
He explains that the company’s Ahiflower oil is available in organic acacia fiber powder with a 70% oil loading level in CoreFX.
“This clean label, clean sensory, water-soluble powder format is extremely versatile in various gummy blend, emulsion and bulk powder formats. Ahiflower+DHA oil is also available through our partnership with Algarithm for brands that require an amount of DHA on the labels of packaged products.”
Sustainability benefits
Natures Crops International highlights that the highly available omega-3 SDA content of ahiflower oil can help overcome the societal challenge of addressing omega-3 deficiencies without harming marine ecosystems or relying on genetically modified crops.
According to Hebard, Ahiflower oil can provide a “fully scalable, traceable, and climate-resistant source of balanced omegas.”
The study authors also note that with the current shift toward choosing plant-based foods and the “potentially ecologically disastrous implications of current DHA dietary recommendations,” Ahiflower may offer a critical source of PUFA that supports the DHA requirements of tissues in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Greg Cumberford, vice president of science and regulation at Natures Crops International and co-author of the study, comments: “For many decades, consumers and professionals have been told that all plant-based sources of omega-3s are ‘inefficiently’ converted into Longer chain DHA. This new research indicates that the story with Ahiflower oil is more nuanced. Although dietary Ahiflower oil does not increase DHA levels, it forms DHA in the liver, adipose tissue and brain quite a bit. efficacy in mice.
Hebard notes that adding Ahiflower oil to protein powders or plant-based milks could add functional benefits.Multiomega Source
Hebard explains that published research on dietary intervention in humans showed that dietary Ahiflower oil increases circulating omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) up to four times more efficiently than flaxseed oil.
Ahiflower oil also resulted in a richer and more diverse range of omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA, eicosatetraenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and the omega-6 fatty acids gamma-linolenic acid and dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, known collectively as anti-oxylipin inflammatory precursors.
Natures Crops International notes that this indicates how Ahiflower oil may act differently than marine or algal sources EPA/DHA to support immune, gut-brain axis, and gut microbiome balance in the body.
Hebard adds that the oil also increases interleukin 10, a small protein or cytokine with powerful anti-inflammatory properties, in immune system cells.
“The latest research findings underline that healthy adults can probably maintain DHA levels in key tissues such as the liver, adipose tissue and brain, that is, outside of clear intakes of medically supported omega-3 DHA during prenatal pregnancy, early childhood and traumatic brain injuries. —from supplementation with Ahiflower oil,” Hebard details.
Future research and applications
According to Hebard, Natures Crops International is focused on Ahiflower oil and expanding its application. This is based on physiological science and processing technology in humans and companion animals.
“Ahiflower seed presents some fascinating and novel characteristics and we hope to see some of these introduced into the trade next year.”
He details that there is room to leverage Ahiflower oil’s presence in human and companion animal well-being to expand into products where traditional EPA/DHA oils are not commonly used or present formulation challenges.
“Examples are protein powders, vegetable powders, plant-based milks or spreads, bars, functional chocolates, squeezable fruits or vegetables, and plant-based seafood. Adding Ahiflower oil to these matrices would confer functional benefits and produce key product differentiation in often crowded categories.”
“Future research in humans and animals, from birds to bees to horses, is currently focused on translating the newly discovered post-exercise anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting activity of Ahiflower oil into the diet, in some cases compared to conventional sources.” of EPA/DHA. “
By Jolanda van Hal
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