 |
[RC] Omega-3 - Eleanor KellonThere's been a lot of interest in omega-3 lately because of increased omega-3 levels in grass fed beef and eggs of grass fed or omega-3 supplemented chickens.
I agree we don't have anywhere near enough equine information to be specific, and even if we did it likely wouldn't be pertinent to high oxidative stress conditions like endurance, but as a starting point I hunted for information on the omega-3:omega-6 ratio of a horse's natural food - grass. Grasses contain as much as almost 75% omega-3:
A foraging horse is likely to eat plants other than grasses that are not as high but using a ratio of 3:1 omega-3:"other" as a starting point, the only thing that comes close to that is flaxseed (4:1 omega-3:omega-6). I can't find the reference right now (will post it if I do), but from a study that quantified omega-3 levels in grasses I came up with a daily intake of 15 to 16 grams omega-3 for a horse at maintenance on fresh grass.
Hays typically lose 50% of their fat level on curing. Omega-3s are the most fragile of the fatty acids so it's a safe bet that's omega-3s. Processed, shelf stable oils are devoid of omega-3. Grains and all the other seed meals/seed oils, including soy, are heavily omega-6 compared to omega-3.
Eleanor
-- Eleanor M. Kellon, V.M.D. Equine Nutritional Solutions 58 Maple Farm Road Ephrata, PA 17522
|