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FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL
Click on Question For Answer
1. What are Essential Fatty Acids?
2. What are "Bad Fats"?
3. Why is the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 important?
4. What are the effects of omega 3?
5. What is the major difference between omega 3 essential fatty acid from
flaxseed/flaxseed oil versus fish/fish oil?
6. I tried to replace Omega 3 Basic with flax oil or flaxseeds, but I have not
seen the same results. Why?
7. My dog and I are on medication. Will the supplement interfere with the medication?
8. Should I stop taking vitamin/minerals if I start using your supplement?
9. Why is it that your products with glucosamine do not include chondroitin as well?
10. Can your supplement cure cancer?
11. Can I freeze part of the supplement to make it last longer after it is opened?
12. Why is your product in a pouch?
1. What are essential fatty acids?
Fats are the third nutrient that supplies energy to the body. The other two nutrient groups are carbohydrates and proteins. Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats.
a) Essential fatty acids (EFAs) must be obtained from a food source or a food supplement because the body cannot produce essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6) on its own. EFAs are important for intercellular and overall health. They are essential building blocks of every membrane of every cell in the body.
b) The major source of the polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) omega 3 and omega 6 in our supplements is flaxseed. Flaxseed is the richest vegetarian source of omega 3 EFAs. The amount of omega 3 in our supplements is 22 times that of omega 6, thereby correcting the all important polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) imbalance of "modern foods".
2. What are "bad fats"?
For a long time we have been advised to avoid foods that contain cholesterol or saturated fats. Too high of an intake of fats such as beef tallow, dairy fats, and tropical oils can cause cardiovascular and other health related problems. However, our body needs moderate amounts of saturated fats, and cholesterol. These fats are stable, and they are not "bad fats".
When "good fats" such as polyunsaturated fats are improperly processed, they can become bad fats. Bad fats are primarily trans-fatty acids that occur in hydrogenated oils found in margarine, shortenings, and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils. Trans-fatty acids are the cause of many health problems related to cardiovascular diseases, obesity, liver degeneration, kidney diseases, and even some cancers.
3. Why is the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 important?
For decades, the typical Western diet has contained the improper ratio of these essential fatty acids. The typical ratios were as high as 20:1 of omega 6: omega 3.
Omega 6 plays an important role in intercellular health. However, an excess of omega 6 fatty acids can cause inflammation, which weakens the immune system. The body becomes prone to allergies and even to the growth of certain cancerous cells.
Recommended Ratio: Many studies suggest that the body's balance between omega 6 (linoleic) and omega 3 (linolenic) fatty acids is somewhere between 4:1 and 2:1.
4. What are the effects of omega 3?
Positive effects: Protective effects of essential fatty acids such as ALA, EPA, and DHA include protection from heart attacks and thrombosis, and decreased inflammation and pain in arthritis sufferers. DHA is one of the building blocks needed for brain growth and development. DHA alone is noted for its effects on brain function, and mood and behavior. Numerous animal studies show that DHA improves learning, vision processes, memory and concentration.
Negative effects: polyunsaturated fats are unstable molecules that are very sensitive to heat, light and oxygen. If not properly processed, lipid peroxidation occurs (chain reactions in the body that cause oxidation of fat and cholesterol molecules), causing inflammation and even cancer. Therefore, the quality of omega-3 fatty acids depends on the quality of the source, the care taken during processing, and packaging.
Why must the amount of pre-formed DHA that we consume be controlled? One of the benefits of DHA is protection from thrombosis (it makes platelets less sticky). If the intake of DHA is too high, it can cause uncontrolled bleeding because the blood cannot clot properly.
5. What is the major difference between omega 3 essential fatty acids from flaxseed/flaxseed oil versus fish/fish oil?
Both alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are omega 3 essential fatty acids. They must be obtained from food or food supplements because the body cannot produce essential fatty acids on its own. Initially, humans obtain DHA through the placenta and from breast milk. Later, we obtain DHA from ready sources such as fish and algae or from converting ALA found in flaxseed. The two major food sources are flaxseeds (vegetarian source) and fish (animal source).
Approximately 20% of the ALA we consume is converted in our bodies into two other fatty acids: EPA and DHA. These are the same beneficial compounds found in fish oil, but there is no danger of over-supplementation because these fats are made as needed.
THE FACTS (COMPARE HOW MUCH HEALTHIER FLAXSEED OIL IS OVER FISH OIL
FLAXSEED/OIL = VEGETARIAN
CHOLESTEROL = NONE
TRANS-FATTY ACIDS = NONE
RISK OF HAZARDOUS HEAVY METALS (Arsenic, Mercury, etc.) = NONE
RISK OF OVERDOSING IN DHA = NO
RISK OF OVERDOSING IN VITAMIN A and D = NO
DIETARY FIBER = YES
PHYTONUTRIENTS = YES
FISH/FISH OIL = FISH FAT
CHOLESTEROL = YES
TRANS-FATTY ACIDS = MAY CONTAIN
RISK OF HAZARDOUS HEAVY METALS (Arsenic, Mercury, etc.) = MAY CONTAIN
RISK OF OVERDOSING IN DHA = YES
RISK OF OVERDOSING IN VITAMIN A and D = YES
DIETARY FIBER = NONE
PHYTONUTRIENTS = NONE
6. I tried to replace Omega 3 Basic with flax oil or flaxseeds, but I have not seen the same results. Why?
There are a couple reasons why you haven't seen the same results. Our products deliver the natural balance of omega oils and lignans. There are some high quality flax oils that are very stable; they even contain added lignans. However, nature gave us whole seeds for a reason. When oils are separated from other parts of the seed and lignans are put back, the natural nutrient balance that nature gave us is disturbed. Therefore, we use the whole seed.
There are no trans-fatty acids in our products - Stability (with no added preservatives) is critical for product quality. A rancid smell and/or taste of any product indicates the presence of trans-fatty acids and free radicals (cancer-causing substances). Being properly processed and packaged, our products are highly stable, and free of trans-fatty acids.
Our products are not merely flaxseed. Both The Missing Link and Omega 3 Basic line of supplements are formulated to deliver the perfect ratio of essential omega oils (omega 3 and omega 6), insoluble and soluble fiber, flaxseed lignans, along with a broad spectrum of other phytonutrients, and naturally occurring traces of vitamins and minerals.
Our products are microbiologically and chemically safe. They contain phytochemicals that fight viruses, bacteria, and molds (fungus), the causes of many illnesses and allergies.
7. My dog and I are on medication. Will these supplements interfere with medication?
Our supplements are formulated from whole foods and food concentrates that help to build the body's immune system. Being a "food", our supplements do not interfere with medication. Actually our supplements may contribute toward faster recoveries.
8. Should I stop taking vitamin/minerals if I start using your supplement?
No, our supplements are not vitamin and/or mineral supplements. Being "all natural" we do not fortify our products with additional vitamins/minerals. Vitamins/minerals present in our products are naturally occurring and present in small amounts. Our supplements contain nutrients that vitamin/mineral supplements do not because our supplements are formulated using whole food and food concentrates. Therefore, there is no danger of "over-supplementation", as there is with vitamin/mineral products.
We often recommend that customers take additional vitamin E while using our supplement. Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant (add it to your pet's daily diet instead of vitamin C - dogs and cats can synthesize vitamin C in their body).
9. Why is it that your products with Glucosamine do not include Chondroitin as well?
The reasons are as follows:
1. The essential fatty acids in our products with their anti-inflammatory properties already support joint health. The combination of EFAs and glucosamine provides the ultimate in joint support.
2. We are aware that products with both glucosamine and chondroitin are very popular in the supplement industry. However, our first concern is the effectiveness and quality of products that we manufacture. In order to add such "trendy" ingredients to our products, we would have to reduce the amounts of other ingredients in our formula that we consider to be more beneficial.
3. Chondroitin is a long chain of glucosamine molecules that the body cannot completely utilize. Often, it is eliminated in urine. The current source of chondroitin is bovine tracheas which raises concerns of "mad cow disease" - BSE.
10. Can your supplement cure cancer?
If that kind of supplement or medicine existed the world would be cancer free. Unfortunately, there is no cure for cancer yet. However, there are some steps that we all can take to reduce our risk.
We should remember that our busy lifestyle (fast food, not enough sleep, stress), genetic predisposition, and our age are all factors that affect our overall health. When allergies, digestive problems, and other diseases affect us, our immune system is in jeopardy. We need to take steps to strengthen our immune system.
Steps we can take:
Look for a health professional (always ask for a second opinion) that will help us determine the cause of our immune system failure. We should not be extreme, seeking help only from holistic medicine or only from modern medicine. We should accept modern medicine and still be open to holistic.
Why do we tell you this? Because we keep hearing about those who ignore modern medicine. Not availing oneself to a medical doctor could result in death because a holistic doctor was not able to diagnose cancer.
We should keep in mind that we are all individuals and the psychological and emotional readiness to fight such a disease varies from person to person. We should maintain our immune systems with correct, balanced nutrition and daily supplementation with vitamins/minerals, functional foods, etc.
The combination of love, optimism, proper medicine, good nutrition, exercise, and natural remedies should be of great support to our overall health, including cancer prevention.
11. Can I freeze part of the supplement to make it last longer after it is opened?
If you ever decide to freeze our product, we suggest that you freeze it for only a couple of weeks. Prolonged freezing of any food denatures the nutritional components.
To receive the maximum benefits from our products we recommend the following:
1. Refrigeration after opening and use within 90 days, as stated on our label.
2. Our gold foil pouches have been specially designed to protect our products and ensure their freshness. The ideal storage condition after opening is refrigeration of the product while it is still in the gold foil pouch.
3. Buy the product size appropriate to your pet's needs. For example: A one pound bag contains 56 tablespoons of product. The serving size for an average-sized dog is 1 tablespoon or 8 grams. Therefore, if you use the product on a daily basis for your "average"-sized dog, you will use up the entire one pound bag in less than 90 days (three months) and you don't have to worry about freezing the product.
12. Why is your product in a pouch?
Our supplements are rich and balanced in naturally occurring essential fatty acids (healing fats), fiber, minerals, vitamins, and a broad spectrum of bioactive "phytochemicals." Essential fatty acids omega 3 and 6 are polyunsaturated fats. Therefore, they are very unstable if exposed to light, oxygen, or heat. The Designing Health team ensures the freshest possible delivery of natural nutrients and EFAs in their most natural state with patented cold-processing and proprietary packaging, and quality control.
The pouch is the only type of packaging that has the ability to ensure prolonged shelf life (24 months, unopened) of our products without use of additives or preservatives. Our packaging protects the sensitive ingredients from heat, light and oxygen . . . the three main factors leading to degradation and loss of effectiveness.
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