Omega 3 Deficiency Symptoms Can Result from a Vegetarian Diet

by Pawan
(India)

NOTE: Pawan is troubled by a wide range of health complications that I believe to be omega 3 deficiency symptoms. My response follows his question below.

I am a 40 year old man.

Height-5'4"

Weight-58 Kg

Vegetarian

All food habits moderate and healthy except the fact that I am Tea addict (5-8 cups a day).

My problems-

1. history: hereditary dandruff and male pattern baldness

2. last 10-12 years Herpes simplex virus coming up at least twice every year near lips.

3. last 3-4 years excessive dry skin on my face and excessive uncontrollable explosion of dandruff

4. recently discovered high blood pressure (diastole/lower side BP 90-100).

All my blood tests are perfectly all right. Lipid profile and cholesterol levels are quite good and healthy, as doctors told me.

I don't know why my blood pressure is high.

My urine and saliva are mildly acidic (color on strip is mild orange).

Exercise - almost nil.

I think tea is responsible for my acidity, but I am so addicted to it since many years. Would adding lemon neutralize acidity? How to cure the chronic acidity? How long would it take? What else can I do?


ANSWER


Hi Pawan,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

First of all, let me say that I am not a doctor - just someone passionate about holistic health.

The symptoms you have listed here can be caused by many different things. You seem most concerned about acidity, but I believe these are primarily omega 3 deficiency symptoms.

This is because you mention that you follow a vegetarian diet.

Good sources of omega-3's can only be found in fish/fish oil and flax/flaxseed oil. Most vegetarians miss out on omega-3's because they don't eat fish and don't know about flax.

Check out the info I have on omega-3 and the other omega fatty acids.

These fats are not only critical for a healthy immune system, but they also play key roles in preventing serious health conditions.

A deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids leave us vulnerable to arthritis, asthma, heart disease, hardening of the arteries, certain cancers, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, skin disorders, and more.


If you want to get relief faster, you'll need to take fish oil. It works much faster than flax.

If this is not an option for you, flaxseed oil is just as good, but it can take 4 to 6 weeks longer to start seeing any results. This should relieve (or at the least improve) your dry skin and high blood pressure.

You will also have to limit your omega-6 intake. Again, see my page on omega fatty acids for an explanation of why.

Please also check your vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D deficiency could also be the cause of your symptoms, especially since you are getting so many Herpes outbreaks. It is quite common for Indians to be vitamin D deficient.

Your diet might also play a role in the herpes outbreaks. The amino acid lysine is an effective herpes treatment. It is an essential amino acid, meaning that the body cannot make it on its own.

Good sources of lysine are found in animal products, so generally only vegetarians have to worry about not getting enough.

Lysine doesn't kill the herpes virus, but you can repress the outbreaks by taking 1-3 grams daily. It is even more effective when enough vitamin A and vitamin C are included in the diet.

It works because lysine blocks the virus from getting to its favorite food, another amino acid called arginine.

You mention that your saliva pH and urine pH are only slightly acidic.

If that's the case, it is very easy to correct and won't take long.

You could mix lemon in your tea, but it would be best to put the lemon in water and drink that separately from the tea.

One to two liters of lemon water daily will benefit your body in almost every way. Most of us don't drink nearly enough.

Hopefully this has been helpful to you.

Wishing you the best of health,

Melissa
How to Boost Your Immune System