Fats and oils have become a controversial topic in our modern day with many claims as to their supposed benefits or harm. As discerning and health conscious consumers it is therefore very important that we know the most complete story about any item of interest or need. In this essay I will share with you an analysis of Udo's Oils to help you understand more about these products and how they can benefit your health.
Fats are an essential part of our health and something that all of our cells, tissues and organs depend on for optimal function. In recent decades however, fats have been vilified in various ways and greatly misunderstood. In their most natural form, from whole food, high quality, natural sources, especially plants, fats are considered not just healthy, but necessary components for health. In their processed, refined, isolated or unnatural forms, such as those found in processed foods or factory farmed animal foods, fats contribute to the degradation of our body and health.
As health conscious consumers, it is therefore vital that we gain back the necessary knowledge when it comes to fats and not get lost in the hype or false promises of "low-fat" or "zero-fat" food claims. It is also important to know some basic information when it comes to understanding fats so that we can make informed decisions when it comes to the products we choose to invest our money and health into.
This is where a product like Flora's Udo's Oil 3-6-9 blend requires a thorough analysis to understand why it stands out from the crowd and how it can benefit us, if we choose to use it. In our quest for optimal health, longevity and quality of life, while quantity plays an important role, it always comes down to quality for making the greatest impact on our health and well-being.
About Flora
Flora was founded in 1965 in British Columbia, Canada. Today it is owned by Thomas Greither, grandson of Dr. Otto Greither, founder of Salus-Haus natural health products. Thomas is dedicated to preserving the environment and in utilizing production and packaging practices that are ecologically sound, including vegetarian capsules for all the dry herbal extracts and environmentally friendly amber glass bottles for the herbal tonics and organic oils.
In its early stages, Flora served primarily as a centre for distributing and marketing European herbal remedies. Today, Flora manufactures and distributes premium health products prepared with botanicals from sustainable, organic farmlands. Their formulas use full-spectrum plant constituents and certified organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, and kosher materials whenever possible.
Flora has been honoured with numerous awards and continually strives to remain a leader in the field of natural health by remaining committed to its mandate of offering only supreme quality formulas. To date, it has grown to serve all of North America as well as many parts of Europe and other continents, with a facility in Washington, US as well.
About Udo's Oil
Udo's Oil is one of the high quality products carried by Flora. It was formulated by Udo Erasmus, Ph.D., who introduced the importance of essential fats (EFA's) derived from organic flax seeds to the world. He is credited with establishing methods for producing unrefined oils, which are still used today by manufacturers of flax and other oils. Later, he developed an oil blend which is an improvement on flax oil, offering a better ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6, known today as Udo's Oil 3-6-9 Blend. Udo is also the author of the book, Fats that Heal Fats That Kill, which has become the industry's leading source on fats.
Udo's Oils come in 2 varieties:
Udo's Oil Organic 3-6-9 Blend
Udo's Oil DHA 3-6-9 Blend
Both of the oils offer the ideal 2:1:1 ratio of unrefined omega fatty acids 3:6:9. Both come in dark glass jars, and must be used in their raw form, not cooked with or heated. Both may be somewhat bitter tasting on their own, but blend well with salads, and other meals where their flavor becomes neutral. The oils must be kept refrigerated, or frozen to prolong their shelf life.
How Udo's Oils Are Made
What makes these oils stand out and qualify as truly high quality, health promoting products is the way that they are treated and processed from start to finish. Unsaturated fats, especially essential fatty acids can be very vulnerable to damage and oxidation. This is why for example, we should not be heating most oils and store most nuts and seeds in the refrigerator or freezer. Rancid fats are harmful to our health and well-being.
The oil production begins with fresh, organic flax, sesame and sunflower seeds, as well as organic oils from evening primrose, rice germ and oat germ. The seeds are pressed at a temperature of less than 120°F (or 50°C) and in the absence of light and oxygen. The oil is then packaged into nitrogen-flushed, amber glass bottles that are further packaged into light-excluding boxes. The oil is stored and found only in the fridge or freezer.
This process protects the oil blend from potential damage by heat, light and oxygen, and helps ensure maximum freshness and stability. It produces the highest quality, unrefined blend of oils that can then provide us with the numerous benefits that the selected saturated, unsaturated and most specifically essential fatty acids (EFAs) can offer our health.
Health Benefits of Udo's Oils
There are numerous ways that our health can benefit from using an oil blend like Udo's oils. I have written a lot on the topics of properly understanding the impact of omega-3 and omega-6 on our health in past essays. Since the start of the omega-3, and more specifically the fish oil bandwagon I have shared information that filled in the missing pieces to present a more complete story. It is not fish oil that is, or will be, our saving grace, it is the overall quality of our diet.
Trying to fix our diet with large amounts of isolated supplement forms is the common bandaid approach that our modern mainstream society tries to apply to our health, nutrition and medical fields today. This type of approach may provide a false sense of security or some short-term benefits, but fails to address the real issues or provide long-term sustainability. The real problem is not that we are eating too little fish, or fish oil supplements. The real problem is that our diets are too highly skewed in the direction of omega-6 fatty acids, which are inflammatory in nature in the absence of sufficient omega-3 fatty acids.
This is where foods like flax, hemp and chia seeds, along with some of their oils are extremely valuable additions to the daily diet. Likewise, the complete removal or serious reduction in refined vegetable oils and processed foods made with them is the other half of the equation. Therefore practical steps to focus on in altering one's diet is to first off drastically reduce (on the way to complete removal) refined fats and vegetable oils from our daily diet. The healthiest sources of fat come from whole food, plant sources like nuts, seeds, avocados, as well as grains, beans and vegetables.
Secondly, any oils that we do choose to use should be health promoting only—not health harming. This is where organic, virgin coconut oil and organic, virgin olive oil can be considered healthy additions, as well as Udo's oils.
Thirdly, we should focus more on consuming our oils in their raw, not cooked forms. Today we have become too comfortable with heating most oils and we do not realize the deleterious consequences of this on our health in how inflammatory and oxidizing it is. This can lead to all sorts of health problems like heart disease, diabetes type 2, cancers, etc.
And so when it comes to Udo's oil, as mentioned in the about section above, for starters it is an oil that necessitates it is used in its raw form. In this way it is able to provide us with all of the wonderful benefits of anti-inflammatory, nutritious and healing characteristics. Specific health benefits associated with the consumption of these oils include:
Increased energy, performance, and stamina
Production of healthy cells, tissues and organs
Optimal brain and nervous system health
Optimal heart and cardiovascular system health
Optimal mental and cognitive function
Enhanced immune system function
Production of healthy skin, hair and nails
Optimal function of hormones and glands
Enhance optimal bone health
Contribute to healthy weight
Support healthy child development
Overall healing and protective against degenerative conditions
Udo's Oil Organic 3-6-9 Blend
The specific characteristics for this oil are as follows:
Ingredients
organic flaxseed oil
organic sunflower seed oil
organic sesame seed oil
organic coconut oil
organic evening primrose seed oil
organic rice bran oil
organic soy lecithin
organic oat bran oil
mixed tocopherols (non-GMO)
Nutrition Info/TBSP
120 calories
14g fat
1.5g saturated fat
0g trans fat
3g omega-3
6g omega-6
12mg GLA
3g monounsaturated fat
0g cholesterol
0g carbohydrates (0g sugar, 0g fiber)
0.2g protein
Udo's Oil DHA 3-6-9 Blend
The specific characteristics for this oil are as follows:
Ingredients
organic flaxseed oil
organic sunflower seed oil
organic sesame seed oil
organic evening primrose seed oil
algal oil
organic coconut oil
organic rice bran oil
organic soy lecithin
rosemary extract
high oleic sunflower oil
tocopherols
ascorbyl palmitate
organic oat bran oil
Nutrition Info/TBSP
120 calories
14g fat
2.5g saturated fat
0g trans fat
3g omega-3
5g omega-6
40mg GLA
100mg DHA
3mg EPA
3g monounsaturated fat
0g cholesterol
0g carbohydrates (0g sugar, 0g fiber)
0.3g protein
Personal Use and Commentary
Over the years I heard in various natural health and nutrition literature the name Udo's Oils mentioned and promoted, and often wondered about the product. But since I do not focus on many oils in my whole food, plant diet, where instead I focus on fats from the highest quality, whole food, plant sources, I didn't have much motivation to look into it further. So it wasn't until I read The pH Miracle, which highly recommends Udo's oil that I decided to finally look into it and purchase some to try for myself.
The price of the product ranges from $20 to $30 for a 500ml/17oz size, which will be anywhere from slightly to significantly more costly than what most people are used to paying for a comparable quality non-cooking oil. For example, the same size bottle of hemp oil typically costs around $15, and flax oil around $17. Based on the ingredient blend and care during the production of Udo's oils, it can be argued that the cost is justifiable. I decided to purchase both of the oils (the organic regular blend and the DHA blend) to try each and compare. I found the bodyenergyclub.com to have the best price (for Canadian orders with free shipping).
I tried both oils on their own first, and found the taste of both to be distinctly bitter. It was not overwhelming, but it was definitely there. Bitter oils can be a sign of the fats going rancid, and therefore should always be investigated, or avoided if you have confirmed that the fats have gone rancid. Udo's oils must be kept refrigerated, but buying them from online sources makes this hard to prove. I learned however that Udo's oils can naturally have a slight bitter taste or after-taste to them. I have never tried a truly rancid oil before, but apparently it would be extremely bitter and unpalatable. So I can only hope at this point that the one I purchased was fine and those were its natural characteristics. I never did end up following up with the online store to make sure that they store theirs refrigerated. I will consider purchasing my next bottle from a local health food store to test and confirm further.
Throughout my experience with both oils, I consumed them as dressing for my salads. In the salads there was no noticeable bitter taste, which was really good news. Some examples of salads in which I used them include: the Asparagus Radish Seasonal Salad and the Cabbage-Apple-Zucchini Salad. I did not add them to smoothies, or any other meals. I enjoyed the oils simply in my salads. It was in fact a nice change to using organic, virgin olive oil, which has a more pronounced flavor that is not always desirable. I would definitely purchase the oils again, but at this point do not intend to make them a regular part of my diet.
If you are looking to diversify your use with the oils, both of them are compatible with all foods and can be used with cold, and warm/hot meals, as long as the food source is removed from heat. They must not be used for any frying, baking, or other high temperature cooking. Common uses include: salads, shakes or smoothies, soups, on steamed vegetables, on a stir-fry, on rice, potatoes and pastas, and with balsamic vinegar for dipping.
When it comes to health benefits, being someone who enjoys optimal health daily, I did not notice any significant changes or improvements of any noticeable nature in my health. I consumed 1 tablespoon in my salads daily for about 2 months, which is how long the 2 bottles lasted back to back. (One 500ml bottle will last roughly 30 days if using 1 TBSP daily.) The recommended dosage is anywhere from 1 tablespoon to 5 tablespoons daily, so that use will vary depending on one's personal health needs. For most pronounced health effects, I suspect that the oil should be used in a slightly greater quantity than what I used it in. Therefore if you choose to work with this oil, experiment with what works for you, and remember to be patient as our body's most profound changes do not happen overnight.
Packaging
Both oils come in dark glass bottles, which are housed in cardboard boxes. They come in three sizes: 250ml, 500ml and 946ml. The packaging is fully reusable or recyclable once product is finished.
Availability
widely available in local health food stores in Canada and the US (look for them in the refrigerated sections in your local health food stores), see the store locator
widely available in online health food stores in Canada and the US
in Canada online: BodyEnergyClub.com, or CanadianVitaminShop.com
in the US online: Amazon.com, or iHerb.com
available also throughout the UK and Europe at select health food stores and online stores
Price (at time of this posting)
Udo's Oil Organic 3-6-9 Blend:
around $12-$14 for the 250ml size
around $20-$24 for the 500ml size
around $36-$40 for the 946ml size
Udo's Oil DHA 3-6-9 Blend:
around $15-$18 for the 250ml size
around $26-$30 for the 500ml size
Pros
The regular 3-6-9 blend is fully certified organic
The DHA blend uses mostly certified organic ingredients
The oils do not use any GMO ingredients
The oils provide the ideal 2:1:1 ratio of omega-3:6:9 fatty acids
Both oils contain unrefined omega fatty acids (GLA, ALA, LA, DHA, EPA)
The DHA algae content was extracted without hexane
Both oils are pressed using state-of-the-art methods in low-heat, light-free and oxygen-free environments
The oils contain 100% plant ingredients, and are vegan
The oils are certified kosher
The oils come in dark glass bottles
The oils can be easily purchased in North America
Cons
The nature of oil is that it is an extracted, isolated food source (not whole food)
The cost may not be affordable or sustainable for all who are interested in including it as part of their regular diet
Conclusion
Knowing what I know about Flora to date, and their products, there is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the highest quality, beneficial and healthiest oils one can consume. It is nice to know that amidst the often questionable practices and ingredients in our society today, there are still a few companies and products that aim to provide truly optimal and high quality products.
Udo's 3-6-9 oil definitely gets my support and approval, as it is a product I am comfortable using myself and recommending to others. So if you are looking for a healthy alternative for your salad oil, or an added source of healthy EFAs, then these oils should definitely be among your top considerations. Which one you decide on will depend on your personal nutritional and health needs. While both can benefit anyone, I would recommend the DHA one especially for pregnant or nursing women; young, growing children; new vegans or vegetarians, or those whose diets may be lacking in quality nutrients; athletes; or anyone who has higher than normal needs for mental or physical exertion.
Whatever you decide, don't forget that optimal health is most influenced and created by the overall quality of your diet, and not any one food or supplement that we imagine to hold all the answers for us. The foundation of our health rests in our overall lifestyle, which includes our food, mind patterns, and habits, etc.