Question
I’ve been reading more and more about feeding omega fatty acids recently. Can you give me some more information on them, please?
Answer
Omega fatty acids are primarily linked to inflammation pathways. The pathways most discussed involve omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. One family of omega-3 fatty acids is predominantly associated with reducing inflammation (“anti-inflammatory”), and one family of omega-6 fatty acids is closely associated with promoting inflammation (“pro-inflammatory”) through the biomolecules (eicosanoids or signaling molecules) they produce. Short-chain “parent” fatty acids sit atop the pathway and are progressively elongated to long-chain fatty acids by the action of enzymes. Competition for enzymes needed to elongate and convert short-chain fatty acids through their respective pathway exists between omega-3s and omega-6s.
Because of the competition for resources that occurs in these pathways, the dietary ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids should be carefully considered, as this can influence whole-body inflammation. Horses fed less pasture (pasture is high in omega-3s) and more concentrates (grains are high in omega-6) probably consume more omega-6 than horses fed primarily pasture forage. Efforts have been made to provide sources of omega-3 fatty acids to improve the dietary ratio.
Feedstuffs and supplements provide various levels of specific fatty acids. Most common feedstuffs provide short-chain parent fatty acids like alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, omega-3) and linoleic acid (LA, omega-6), but more direct sources, like EO-3 or ReSolvin EQ, contain longer-chain fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Nutritionists recommend feeding direct sources of long-chain fatty acids as research has shown that horses are not able to effectively elongate short-chain fatty acids.
Overall, the recommendation for feeding omega fatty acids is to choose sources with more omega-3 fatty acids and ideally long-chain omega-3 fatty acids over short-chain fatty acids.
While this is a simplified explanation, I hope I was able to clarify some things for you.
Additional resources:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Horses
Omega-3 and -6 Fatty Acids for Horses: Is There an Ideal Ratio?
Marine-Derived Oils and Omega-3s: Source Matters
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Provides Significant Benefits
Targeted Supplementation for Horses Predisposed to Gastric Ulcers
This article details the research behind the development of ReSolvin EQ:
