Simply Egg Whites | Break Free | Omega 3
Simply
Egg Whites |
Break
Free | Omega 3
Introduction to Break Free Omega 3
In 2000, Naturegg launched Break Free Omega 3 to their line up of all natural liquid eggs. Break Free Omega 3 contains 80% less cholesterol and 50% less fat and calories than regular eggs and it also contains heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been identified as important to maintaining overall good health.
Eight tablespoons or 100 mL of Break Free Omega 3 contains 40% of the daily requirement of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential nutrients for your body. Omega-3 fatty acids are not produced by the human body. This mean we have to acquire them through our diet. Break Free Omega 3 is an excellent alternative to whole eggs as it is a low fat source of protein, with 80% less cholesterol and 50% less fat and calories than a regular egg. Break Free Omega 3 provides an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin E, and a source of heart healthy omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Because over 600 mg per serving (2 egg equivalent or 100 g ) of DHA and EPA long chain omega-3 fatty acids are provided, it can, therefore, substitute for fish in all diets.
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Break Free Omega 3 can be used anywhere regular shell eggs are used. Use in baking, as a substitute for whole beaten egg in most breakfast dishes (i.e. omelettes), as a low fat protein source or, because it is pasteurized, to add protein and a frothy texture to healthy fruit drinks.
See recipes made with... Break Free Omega
3
Conversion Information
50ml or 3.3
tablespoons replaces 1 egg
1 carton or 250 ml replaces 5 eggs
Omega-3 an important dietary fatty acid
The American Heart Association Recommendation
Back in 1990, Health and Welfare Canada recognized that Canadians were eating too much saturated fat - a major risk factor in the development of heart disease. It was at this time that they first made the recommendation for consumers to re balance their fat intake to include more foods containing essential omega-3 fatty acids. As stated by registered dietitian Randy Meltzer, "Imbalances in fat intake may be responsible for many chronic disorders", and it was becoming obvious that we Canadians are not eating enough of the essential omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, Nutrition Recommendations state that the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids should range between 4:1 and 10:1, and that our diet is currently too high in omega-6 fatty acids and saturated fat. As a result of these findings, Health Canada finally made regulations for omega-3 labeling in 1994, and we started working on the launch of the Omega 3 egg.
Now, Health Canada has recommended levels of intake for omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for people of all ages. For adults between 25 and 49 years old, these are 1500 mg of omega-3 polyunsaturates per day for men and 1100 mg per day for women. See the chart below for other age classes. Nutrition Recommendations for Canadians also states that vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients for the maintenance of general health, normal growth and development. Dietary sources of vitamin E and omega-3 polyunsaturates are especially important because essential nutrients, by definition, cannot be formed by the body; they must come from food. An egg equivalent of Break Free Omega 3 provides a minimum of 40% of the recommended daily intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and 100% of vitamin E.
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a. n-3 PUFA = omega-3 polyunsaturated
fats, n-6 PUFA = omega-6 polyunsaturated fats
b. Level below which intake should not fall
c. Assumes moderate (more than average) physical activity
Table taken from Health & Welfare Canada (1990), "Nutrition Recommendations,The Report of the Scientific Review Committee"
The Difference Between Omega-3 Shell Eggs and Break Free Omega 3
Omega-3 fatty acids are
comprised of 3 main compounds - ALA, DHA and EPA. ALA is a short chain omega-3
fatty acid, while DHA and EPA are longer chain omega-3 fatty acids. The ALA
converts into DHA and EPA through a chemical pathway in the body at a rate of
4 to 10%. This means that if you eat 100 mg of the shorter chain ALA (the main
omega-3 fat found in flaxseed for example) then your body will convert 4 to
10% of this into a combination of EPA and DHA producing 4 to 10 mg of these
longer chain omega-3 fats combined.
While it is good to increase your consumption of omega-3 fats in general, it
is the longer chain DHA and EPA that have the real physiological benefits (i.e.
DHA and EPA are linked to reducing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks
and mortality plus other health benefits. DHA has also been found to improve
mental and visual acuity in infants). Therefore, it is better to consume the
longer chain DHA and EPA than it is to consume only the shorter chain ALA, all
of which are omega-3 fats with different length carbons in the molecules. The
main benefit of consuming the ALA is that it converts into the DHA and EPA,
although to a very limited extent.
As you can see by the following fatty acid profile, the Break Free Omega 3 has a much higher concentration of the long chain fats (ones with 20 carbons or more) than do the Omega 3 shell eggs. Only 25% of the fatty acids provided by the shell eggs contain fatty acids with 20 carbons or more. However, over 90% of the fatty acids provided by the Break Free Omega 3 contain 20 carbons or more. As discussed, it is these longer chain carbons that provide the true physiological benefits, making Break Free Omega 3 similar to eating a serving of salmon or other cold water fish.
What is Omega-3?
NOTE: The American Heart Association released their Dietary Guidelines this past Fall, entitled A Statement for Heath care Professionals From the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association.
An excerpt from this section states: Fatty Acid Supplements
"A number of investigators have reported on beneficial effects of increased omega-3 fatty acid intake in patients with coronary artery disease. Several of these studies used supplements containing long-chain - 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA, or "fish oil") at doses ranging from 850 mg to 2.9 g/d. Other studies have shown that higher doses (3 to 4 g/d) provided as supplements can reduce plasma triglyceride levels in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. High intakes of fatty fish (1 serving per day) can result in intakes of EPA and DHA of 900 mg/d. Further studies are needed to establish optimal doses of omega-3 fatty acids (including EPA, DHA, and linolenic acid) for both primary and secondary prevention of coronary disease as well as the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia.
For secondary prevention, beneficial effects of a high dose of 3 fatty acids on recurrent events have been reported in the GISSI trial. A 20% reduction in overall mortality (P=0.01) and a 45% reduction in sudden death (P<0.05) after 3.5 years was reported in subjects with preexisting coronary heart disease (who were being treated with conventional drugs) given 850 mg of omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters (as EPA and DHA) either with or without vitamin E (300 mg/d). Other studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of omega-3 acids EPA, DHA (1.9 g/d), and linolenic acid 0.8% of energy, in subjects with coronary heart disease. Consumption of 1 fatty fish meal per day (or alternatively, a fish oil supplement) could result in an omega-3 fatty acid intake (i.e., EPA and DHA) of ˜ 900 mg/d, an amount shown to beneficially affect coronary heart disease mortality rates in patients with coronary disease."
See the complete transcript under Nutrition & Health.
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