ALA: The Other Omega 3

Is there room for ALA in an already crowded omega 3 market?

By Sean Moloughney
Associate Editor

In the family of omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA have gained most of the attention. But as the market continues to grow and mature, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) seems to be finding its stride, particularly within the functional food industry.

“The good thing about the omega 3 market is that all ships are rising,” said Christopher Shanahan, industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan, Palo Alto, CA. While growth predictions may need to be scaled back given economic conditions, he added, the category is still showing significant growth relative to other functional ingredients.

According to a white paper on flax-based omega 3 ALA, which Frost & Sullivan released late last year, increasing consumer awareness will likely propel growing demand for ALA.

Overall, 72% of consumers reported that they were aware of omega 3 fatty acids in 2008, up from 63% in 2006, according to the "2008 Food Health Survey" conducted by the International Food Information Council, Washington, D.C. Moreover, 38% of U.S. consumers routinely consumed products containing omega 3s in 2008, and the market is growing by an impressive 35% annually.

Even though consumers may not fully understand the specifics about omega 3s, according to Kelley Fitzpatrick, director of health and nutrition for the Flax Council of Canada, who is also an independent nutritionist for Glanbia Nutritionals, Monroe, WI, “consumers do know they are beneficial to their overall health and wellness, and specifically to heart health.”

EPA and DHA clearly maintain market-share dominance in the omega 3 industry, but ALA has still found comfortable footing. Recognized as an essential fatty acid—and a precursor to EPA and DHA—ALA cannot be synthesized by the body and therefore must be obtained through dietary sources. It is abundant in certain plant foods, including flax and chia, as well as walnuts, rapeseed (canola), several legumes and green leafy vegetables.

Science & Controversy

As most scientific research has focused on the health benefits of EPA and DHA, which have profited from a qualified heart health claim, controversy and criticism continue to brew over ALA despite evidence that suggests a positive effect on cardiovascular health.

Among the chief criticisms of ALA has been its ability, or lack thereof, to convert into the longer chain EPA and DHA. “ALA is often chastised, mostly by the fish oil people, who say it can’t be converted to EPA,” said Ms. Fitzpatrick. “We need to get away from that because it can.” Conversion rates vary, depending largely on individual genetics, ranging from a low of .5% to highs of 12-13%, she added. “We know that women convert better than men. Unfortunately, most of the studies that have been done have been done on men.”

Essentially, the body converts ALA on an as needed basis. “When the liver is deplete of DHA, it shunts more ALA into conversion,” Ms. Fitzpatrick noted. “It’s a very complex process. Simply to say that ALA is useless because it can’t be converted is absolutely irresponsible and not based in science.”

According to an article from Aliza Stark, Michael Crawford and Ram Reifen that appeared in the scientific journal Nutrition Reviews, “It is difficult to determine the exact impact of ALA on heart health because very few studies have focused exclusively on ALA. However, available data consistently support a beneficial effect…Recommendations from a workshop sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Office of Dietary Supplements on omega 3 fatty acids and cardiac arrhythmogenesis specified the need for more epidemiological data on ALA intake and sudden cardiac death and cardiac arrest, including large-scale, double-blind, randomized trials with well-defined end points. Although the data available today is not conclusive, the continual appearance of new studies and professional opinions of scientists from around the world support the ever-growing body of research that ALA has cardioprotective effects in its own right.”

Mr. Shanahan agreed that sound scientific backing will propel the market for all forms of omega 3, adding: “a third party really needs to come in and standardize health claims for EPA, DHA and ALA, and establish RDIs (Recommended Dietary Intakes).” Such action would quell contentions among competing companies within the industry, and clear up consumer confusion, he said.

Meanwhile, Ms. Fitzpatrick said recent evidence reveals specific anti-inflammatory effects of ALA. “We need all sources of omega 3 in the diet and ALA is increasingly being recognized by health professionals as having a lot of data with regard to its own unique benefits.”

For example, nutritionists and other dietary experts often point to the critical need to balance omega 6 to omega 3 ratios in an effort to reduce inflammation. Dietary recommendations for an ideal ratio range from 10:1 to 4:1, but some diets are as high as 20:1 or even 30:1.

“The Western style diet is just overrun with omega 6 fatty acids from corn oil, traditional sunflower oil, soy bean oil and other oils that are traditionally used in food processing,” said Ms. Fitzpatrick. “If we take in too much omega 6, it overwhelms the omega 3 conversion process. So we need to recognize that we can’t look at omega 3 all alone, just like any dietary constituent. It’s a whole diet approach.”

Diets rich in omega 6 linoleic acid (LA) can cause excessive inflammation, and are highly correlated with cardiovascular mortality when compared to the more balanced omega 3 diets found elsewhere in the world. “You can imagine then, if these two families are competing, you’re not going to get a lot of efficacy coming from the omega 3,” said Ms Fitzpatrick. “So food manufacturers need to find ways to decrease omega 6 and increase omega 3. Flax seed ALA provides a really good outlet for that.”

Noting the functional food market generated sales of about $16 billion in 2007, Frost & Sullivan predicts that flax-based omega 3 ALA will be the next “superfood” ingredient because of its “multiple and substantiated health benefits and long-term sustainability in meeting the ever-changing needs of consumers.” Mr. Shanahan estimated that sales for flax seed were $20-25 million in 2008.

Functional Solutions

According to Ms. Fitzpatrick, flax is a versatile health ingredient that offers food manufacturers solutions to many fortification challenges posed by fish oils, such as oxidation. “Because it’s a shorter chain fatty acid it’s easier to work with,” she said.

Flax is naturally stocked with antioxidants that protect the seed oils. “Glanbia and Pizzey’s Nutritionals have been able to capitalize on proper processing in order to utilize those natural antioxidants in the mill seed to protect the ALA,” Ms. Fitzpatrick noted. “There’s really nothing sexy about what they’re doing. They’re just using the natural cocktail of the antioxidants in flax to protect the omega 3 ALA. And that has enormous benefits for the food industry, because you’re dealing with a whole grain, flax, with it’s own natural antioxidant system, which can provide you with an ‘excellent source of omega 3’ claims.”

One other formulation from Glanbia—perhaps with a little more ‘sex appeal’—is its UltraGrad ingredient, which combines flax-based ALA with fish sourced EPA and DHA in a dry powder form. This highly stable, patented blend offers manufacturers flexibility in applications such as baked goods, cereals, bars and dough, according to the company.

Much like flax, chia is emerging as source of ALA that allows manufacturers to solve formulation problems inherent to essential fatty acids, according to Dean Mosca, president, Proprietary Nutritionals, Inc. (PNI), Kearny, NJ. “Chia as a nutritional supplement or nutraceutical for functional foods has gained tremendous ground, as it is a source of quality proteins and contains a superior amount of ALA,” he said.

Chia also maintains stability of its ALA content due to its naturally occurring antioxidants. “When working with chia, manufacturers need not add to their production costs by adding an antioxidant to combat oxidation through shelf-life,” Mr. Mosca added.

Anticipating manufacturing and market trends, the company recently launched Benexia ALA Powder—a new patent-pending, neutral tasting, water-soluble omega 3 microencapsulated powder suitable for numerous food applications.

“It offers outstanding stability in food formulations and in liquids—truly opening wide doors of ingenuity in designing foods and beverages that not only please the palate but offer full stability of the omega 3 content consumers are seeking for specific benefits,” Mr. Mosca said. The product joins PNI’s Benexia Chia oil, which contains 21% ALA and 6% LA, providing an ideal 3:1 ALA to LA ratio, according to Mr. Mosca.

He predicted that chia would continue to advance as a functional food ingredient in a host of products. “For the more adventurous at-home chef, chia can be used in a variety of ways to enhance not only the taste of certain foods but their nutritional profile. We therefore see an exciting future for chia as a versatile, effective and reliable food source of omega 3 ALA and protein.”

Taking notice of the advantages ingredients like chia can offer, Valensa International, Eustis, FL, has also developed several ALA formulations.

“Because of the promise of plant-based ALA supplementation, Valensa has made it a developmental platform upon which we plan to introduce a number of products,” said Dr. Rudi Moerck, president and CEO, Valensa. “Today, we offer a half dozen specialty plant-based ALA omega 3 formulations that target different segments of the market from straight supplements to functional foods, as well as target different consumer demographics. We plan on expanding on these value-added offers in the years to come.”

In addition to overcoming oxidation issues often associated with foods fortified with fish oils, as vegetarian sources of omega 3s, flax, chia and other plant oils extend the reach of this growing market to consumers who don’t consume fish.

As Ms. Fitzpatrick noted, while the omega 3 market itself is “getting quite crowded,” the ALA segment is still relatively open. “Some reports say that EPA and DHA will increase at the expense of ALA,” she said. “I disagree with that. I think there are still significant challenges in using pure fish oils. And consumers like flax. It’s a no brainer to see flax in a number of food products, and that’s always the missing link. What are consumers comfortable with? My mother is not comfortable with fish oil in her orange juice, but she is comfortable with flax in her waffles.”