Omega and Mayo Madness Facts About Omega Fatty Acids
Written by lsmithers on June 2, 2008The Hellmann’s REAL mayonnaise label brought quite a surprise. Words like “Naturally rich…” makes one think it’s healthy and “Naturally rich in Omega-3” defies the ingredients on the label. A little difficult to imagine mayonnaise as a health food.
Fine print: 650 mg. ALA per serving, 50% of the daily value of ALA (1300 mg).
Ingredients: Soybean oil, (fat), water, whole eggs and egg yolks (fat- according to gourmetsleuth.com, 1 large egg yolk contains approx. 5 grams total fat), vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, natural flavors (a mystery?), calcium disodium EDTA (used to protect quality).
So that’s fat, water, fat (not enough protein from the whites to list on the label), flavorings and a preservative.
Soybean oil is an Omega-6. Hellmann’s and other manufacturers give soybean the designation of Omega-3 ALA but as many oil comparison charts show, it is predominantly inflammatory Omega-6s.
Omega 6 – 54%
Omega 3 – 8%
These percentages vary but all within a point or two of each other.
When you see products today that say Omega-3 ALA added, but the primary ingredient is soybean, the “ALA” in this product has high inflammatory content. If food manufacturers can get by with calling soybean ALA, consumers have to be wise to know soybean is 7 times more Omega-6.
While Omega-3 fortified foods may be the hottest trend in manufacturing we’ve ever seen, do not take the label at face value. Read the fine print.
To Your Health!
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October 6th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
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