The skinny on GOOD FAT
Boost your mind and body with omega-3-enriched dairy products
For some 40 years now, the nutritional benefits of omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to reducing the risk of heart disease. It was in the late 1970s when Danish researchers revealed their findings that the Greenland Inuit’s traditional diet is high-fat, yet the incidence of cardiovascular disease was markedly lower among the Inuit, compared to western countries. The key is the rich fat they consume—from whale blubber, seals and seafood—which is “good fat,” or omega-3.
Consuming salmon and sardines, which contain significant amounts of two important omega-3s—docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (Epa)—also keeps our brains, joints and eyes healthy.
But what about dairy products? We can also ingest omega-3 fatty acids from dairy products. The standard milk in grocery coolers, however, does not contain DHA and EPA. The naturally enriched Silani Cheese Omega 3 products do. “Silani Omega 3 cheeses are not fortified; nothing is added to the cheese,” explains Raj Verma, Silani’s quality control manager, who has a PHD in dairy technology. Instead, special herds of cows are given a feed rich in marine-source omega-3s, says Verma, and the nutrients are digested and transferred into the milk used to make Silani Omega-3 cheese.
This would be a boon for those of us who don’t care for fish. A 100-g serving of Silani Omega 3 Mozzarella, for example, contains 100 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, of which 49 mg is DHA and 24 mg is EPA. In addition to omega-3s, the Silani line contains all the usual nutrients found in cheese, including calcium, which builds strong bones; vitamin A, which is good for the eyes; and selenium, which helps our thyroid glands work properly.
Young children are at particular risk of not getting enough omega-3s. “They eat even less fish than adults, so alternate sourcesare of great interest to parents,” notes Bruce Holub, a university professor emeritus at the University of Guelph’s department of human health and nutritional sciences. Holub is also the director of scientific affairs and information at the DHA•EPA Omega-3 Institute. “The number one source of dietary fat for children is milk and cheese. They are natural vehicles to introduce DHA into the diets of children.”
In fact, omega-3s are crucial to our diet and benefit us through every stage of life. Pregnant and nursing women need the most, since DHA is a building block for the baby’s brains and eyes. Omega-3s are also essential for children’s brain functions. In adults, they thwart heart disease, arthritis and maculopathy (dry eye). Dietitians of Canada and the American Dietetic Association jointly recommend that adults consume an average of 500 mg of EPA plus DHA daily. “It’s almost impossible to take too much from food,” notes Holub. “In Japan the norm is around 1,000 mg per day, and they are outliving us in quality and quantity of life.”