Miley Cyrus Quits Veganism - Omega-3 & Omega-6's Myths Debunked

3 September 2020

Long-time vegan celebrity Miley Cyrus informed Joe Rogan on his podcast earlier yesterday that she is no longer vegan and has reintroduced fish into her diet. The 27-year-pop star who was vegan from 2013 to 2019, said, “I was vegan for a very long time and I’ve had to introduce fish and omegas into my life because my brain wasn’t functioning properly,” sending shockwaves among vegans and vegetarians back here in India. She tells Joe, "You're not vegan and you can't be vegan and living this kind and be this quick, but sure you can, some people, I cannot."

On asked about what quitting veganism did for her brain, Miley replies, "Now, I'm so much more sharper than I was and I think at one point, I was pretty malnutritioned." The singer-turned-actress told host Rogan, "Unfortunately I fucking love fish but at this point I gotta eat it to be able to have my brain to work as quickly as you and I are going right now." Vegans as well as vegetarians hit back at Miley on Twitter informing they didn’t experience cognitive condition or brain fog following a plant-based diet. Mental fatigue and mental fog can be caused due to a wide variety of factors and not just diet alone. So we took this opportunity to demystify the myths surrounding the omega 3 & 6 fatty acids with help from the country’s plant-based doctors and nutritionists.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy unsaturated fats and its vital that we get them from the foods we eat. Omega-3 fats play a role in brain, nerve and eye development in infants. They also help keep your immune system healthy and may help lower the risk of heart disease in adults.

There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids:

1. ALA (alpha linoleic acid)
2. DHA (Docosahexanoic acid)
3. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid)

OMEGA-6 FATTY ACIDS

Omega-6 fatty acids are also healthy unsaturated fats and we need to get omega-6 fats from food in our diet. Omega-6 fats play an important role in regulating our genes and promoting immune health and blood-clotting. These fats can also help with the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and dermatitis. However, more research is needed to support these health benefits.

There are four types of omega-6 fatty acids:

1. LA (Linoleic acid)
2. ARA (Arachidonic Acid)
3. GLA (Gamma linoleic)
4. CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid)

Why Opt For Plant-Based Sources of Omegas Over Fish

When most people think of omega-3 fatty acids, they tend to think of fish or fish oil. But like other animal protein, fish are just the middlemen who’re getting their omegas from the algae they eat. Considering that fish have been found to contain toxic industrial pollutants, it’s better to source your omega-3s from plants.

Plant-Based Sources of Omega-3 & Omega-6

There’s no dearth of plant-based sources of omega-3s and omega-6s available in the Indian subcontinent. Dr R Saravanan, BHMS, PGDHSC (Applied Nutrition), ACLM who is a nutrition and lifestyle consultant, says, “Vegans can get omega-3 easily from plant-based sources like chia, flax seeds, walnuts, black beans and kidney beans.” He further elaborates by saying, “In healthy individuals, omega-3s in the aforementioned sources will convert to EPA and DHA. But in the rare cases of individuals with compromised gut health, a plant-based DHA/EPA supplement maybe needed.”

Dr Rashmi Menon who is a plant-based wholefood-based nutritionist, holistic doctor and psychotherapist, further adds, “Omega-3s can be found in flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, soybeans, tofu, pumpkin seeds and hemp besides walnuts and chia. Omega-6s can be found in soybeans, corn, safflower and sunflower oils, nuts and seeds.”

Vegan-algae based supplements of omega-3 are also available in the market today. According to American doctor Dr Michael Greger who advocates a wholefood plant-based diet, everyone must consider taking 250 mg daily of pollutant-free (yeast or algae-derived) long-chain omega-3s. This recommended dosage is especially important for older men as well as women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or thinking about getting pregnant.

Does Brain Function Depend Solely on Intake of Omegas? Not Really!

Cognitive function can be negatively impacted due to a wide range of factors like eating unhealthy foods like refined sugar, lack of quality sleep, chronic stress and anxiety, physical inactivity, build-up of toxins in homes, underlying health conditions like diabetes, etc, heavy metal toxicity, hepatitis C, hormonal imbalances, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), substance abuse and substance withdrawal. Nutritional deficiency is just one of the causes for reduced brain function. And it’s not just nutritional deficiency of omegas that can impact brain function. “Choline is also needed for good brain health and it is available in tofu, cruciferous veggies, peanuts among other sources. Vitamin B12 is also vital for brain function and it can be obtained from a supplement,” informs Dr Saravanan.

Gut-Brain Connection’s Impact On Brain Health & Functioning

Today, science is understanding the connection between gut health and brain health. Plant-based doctor, Dr Mahesh, informs, “There’s a connection between the gut and brain and how gut inflammation can lead to brain inflammation. The lifestyle pillars are key to this with diet being one of the pillars. Besides animal-derived foods, even processed foods can lead to brain and neurological inflammation. So it’s important to ensure one’s plant-based diet is a healthy one.”

Surplus Omega-6 Increases Risk of Diseases

Now, now. Don’t go overboard in getting that daily intake of omega-6s yet, as too much omega-6 increases the risk of several diseases. “Most people get more omega-6 than omega-3 in their diets, as most products made with refined oils have more of omega-6 than omega-3. Surplus of omega-6 fats can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. This also alters the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 in the body. When omega-6 is high, the body experiences omega-3 deficiency. This deficiency can create ‘brain fog’,” informs Dr Rashmi.

So what’d we need to do to be healthy? “Switching from refined oils and focusing on a wholefood plant-based diet including whole seeds can correct this ratio as well as resulting deficiency,” replies Dr Rashmi.