INCA INCHI OIL AND OTHER OILS RICH IN OMEGA 3

José Anaya Yábar

It is important to understand the nutritional content of INCA INCHI oil among other vegetable oils rich in omega 3 and fish oil used in health supplement capsules.

In the international market there are three vegetable oils containing more than 50% omega 3: flax, chia and perilla. Inca Inchi oil contains more than 50% omega 3, depending on variety, and is still not widely known; this article describes its qualities and characteristics compared with these three oils and with fish oil.

Inca Inchi oil is the richest vegetable source of unsaturated fatty acids: up to 93% in its natural state, including the essential linoleic fatty acid omega 6 and essential alpha linolenic fatty acid omega 3, which the human body needs to maintain health and biological functions but cannot synthesise -they must be in our diet.

Each fatty acid contained in these oils has a specific function in the body and all are necessary for the body to remain healthy.

The fat requirement in our daily diet varies with age, activity and other factors, however an approximate average would be up to 30% total fat, of which 30% may be saturated fat, 60% monounsaturated omega 9 and 10% polyunsaturated fats omega 6 and omega 3.

In this ideal diet, the omega 6 requirement is 8% and only 2% omega 3, including 1% alpha linolenic, 0.775% EPA and 0.225% (150 milligrams) DHA.

Essential linoleic fatty acids omega 6 and alpha linolenic omega 3 are subject to elongation by the body to produce sufficient omega 3 EPA and DHA fatty acids for all of our biological needs (the body does not elongate more than it needs). These omega 3 EPA and DHA and alpha linolenic fatty acids have very important biological functions.

Consequently, a healthy diet does not necessarily include fish oil, which does not contain antioxidants; the recommended source is vegetable oil rich in polyunsaturated essential fats (omega 3 and 6) and antioxidants. Like all mammals, fish and birds, humans produce sufficient EPA and DHA fats by elongation for their biological needs.

SOURCE: AGROINDUSTRIAS AMAZONICAS (APPROXIMATE VALUES)

  * As a percentage of total daily fat intake              

** One portion of omega 3 is recommended for every four portions of omega 6

INCA INCHI OIL COMPARED TO FISH OIL

• Inca Inchi oil has a high unsaturated fatty acid content (93.69%), fish oil contains less unsaturated fat (60%).
• Inca Inchi oil contains a high essential fatty acid content (84.41%), while fish oil has a very low percentage of essential fatty acids (3%).
• Inca Inchi oil has the lowest saturated fat content (6.39%) while fish oil contains a high percentage of saturated fat (40%).
• In its natural state Inca Inchi oil contains important antioxidants, such as alpha-tocopherol, vitamin E, carotenoids and vitamin A; fish oil does not naturally contain antioxidants, it oxidizes quickly and artificial preservatives have to be added to prevent this.
• Inca Inchi oil is organically grown and processed, it is virgin and unrefined, obtained by first cold pressing and is consumed in its natural state, while fish oil is exposed to sea pollution, dioxin, mercury, plastics and others; it is extracted and refined in an industrial process involving high temperatures, solvents and chemicals that deteriorate the oil, which is consumed in its refined state.
• Inca Inchi oil is a vegetable oil with no cholesterol; fish oil contains cholesterol.
• Inca Inchi oil does not cause acidity or irritation; fish oil does.
• Inca Inchi oil does not cause intestinal gases; fish oil does.
• Inca Inchi oil has an agreeable aroma and flavor, better than fish oil.

 INCA INCHI OIL AND OMEGA-RICH VEGETABLE OILS

The Plukenetia volubilis plant, the seeds of which produce INCA INCHI oil, has some important advantages compared with other omega-oil-producing plants as a world source of such oil; it is grown organically, is not transgenic and its most important advantages are the following:

Agricultural advantages:

• Inca Inchi has a long life and production time; plants more than 25 years old and still producing have been reported and in commercial practice, the optimum production period may exceed five years.
• Inca Inchi has a high yield; it may produce more than 6000 kilos per hectare per year.
• Inca Inchi can be harvested throughout the year.
• Inca Inchi allows associated crops and, therefore, higher economic yields per hectare.

 Processing advantages:

• Inca Inchi seeds have a high oil content, more than 50%, so more oil and therefore more omega 3 can be produced per ton of raw material.
• The oil is virgin, extracted by simple cold pressing, and does not require refining.

Nutritional advantages:

• Inca Inchi oil has the highest percentage of antioxidants and vitamins E and A in its natural state, which give it a shelf life of more than two years when packed and stored in good conditions; other oils are low in antioxidants and have a short life of less than six months, therefore they are artificially supplemented with antioxidants that are not part of their nature composition.
• On its use in food; other oils rich in omega 3 contain toxins and in some countries cannot be used in food for humans.
• Inca Inchi oil has the highest concentration of essential fatty acids (84.86% omega 3 and 6)
• Inca Inchi oil has the highest concentration of unsaturated fatty acids (93% omega 3, 6 and 9),
• Inca Inchi oil has won international awards as the best oil, for its delicious flavor and organoleptic qualities, which give it a big advantage in international gastronomy.
• The Inca Inchi seed, in addition to having a high content of high quality oil, has a high concentration of protein of exceptional quality for food, due to its rich and complete composition of essential and non-essential amino acids and highly digestible in more than 94%.

 Economic advantages:

• High yield per hectare coupled with the seed’s higher oil content and ease of processing give Inca Inchi advantages compared to other omega-3-rich oilseeds in the production of high-quality oil and protein for use in food, cosmetics and nutraceuticals.

COMPOSITION OF OMEGA-RICH VEGETABLE OILS

SOURCE: AGROINDUSTRIAS AMAZONICAS

CONCLUSION: of all known edible oils, Inca Inchi oil is the richest source of unsaturated fatty acids and has sufficient antioxidants and vitamins E and A for a long shelf life; it does not contain toxic elements and, in addition to its nutritional qualities, has an excellent flavor, for which it has received a number of international awards. Inca Inchi oil is made from organically grown seeds.