Over 50% Omega 3 in Clary Sage Oil

There are high levels of Omega 3 ALA fatty acid in Clary Sage seed oil. Employing the standard method (ISO 5508 & 5509 – Fatty Acid Profile), Miluda Ltd. completed the profiling of the fatty acid contents of Clary Sage seed oil.  Seed oil samples were provided by Magnetika Interactive LTD, an Israeli company that cultivates the Clary Sage herb.
The high levels of omega 3 fatty acids within Clary Sage seed oil (over 50 percent) are attributed mainly to the high levels of alpha linolenic acid.  Results show insignificant to zero levels of saturated fatty acids and trans fats in Clary Sage oil.
Several essential fatty acids were found in Clary Sage seed oil:

• Palmitic acidis the most common type of saturated fatty acid, which can be found in commercially produced oils (Gunstone et al., 1986). Fish oils contain large amounts of Palmitic acid, ranging from 10% to 30%; fats derived from tropical food sources such as coconut contain 6.9%  saturated fatty acid; there are other edible sources, such as palm kernel and palm oil , which contain 6.5%-11% and 32%-59% of palmitic acid, respectively (Gunstone et al., 1986; Horrobin, 1990a, b). Clary Sage seed oil, of course, also contains palmitic acid (6.5%).

• Stearic acid– 5% to 30% of stearic acid is found in tallow, 30% – 36% in cocoa butter, and 44% in shea nut butter (Gunstone et al., 1986; Erasmus, 1993). 2.5% of stearic acid is found in Clary Sage seed oil.

• Oleic acid– The most common fatty acid, oleic acid has been detected in virtually all known essential lipids (Gunstone et al., 1986). Significant levels of this fatty acid have been detected in olive oil (43.7%-83%), peanut oil (37.9%), and almond oil (65%-70%) (Erasmus, 1993). Additionally, studies show that the metabolic processes among mammals produce significant levels of oleic acid (Gunstone et al., 1986; Erasmus, 1993). About 24% of this fatty acid is found in Clary Sage seed oil.

• Linoleic acid– High concentrations of this fatty acid are found in sunflower oils (68.5%), safflower oils (75.3%), and sesame oils (45%) (Gunstone et al., 1986; Erasmus, 1993). In Clary Sage seed oil, Linoleic acid was detected at 14%.

• Alpha linolenic acid – high levels of this fatty acid have been detected in photosynthetic plants, particularly in the leaves, stems, and roots (Gunstone et al., 1986). Flax seed contains more than 50% ALA, thus is considered the richest source of this fatty acid, while candlenut and chia rank close with 30% and hemp seed  with 20% (Erasmus, 1993). Other sources of ALA are pumpkin seed oil (up to15%), canola (up to 10%), walnut (3%-11%), and soybean oil (5%-7%) (Erasmus, 1993). Interestingly, Clary Sage contains as much ALA as flax seed (51%).