What Is Purpose of Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids are a class of essential fatty acids that cannot be manufactured by the body and need to be derived from the diet. They play diverse roles in the human body, and deficiency of these nutrients is linked to an increased risk of several chronic conditions. Important omega-3 fatty acids include alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA; eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA; and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA.

Sources

The only dietary sources of EPA and DHA are coldwater oily fish, such as salmon, sardines and herring, and marine algae. Flax and its oil are rich in omega-3's, mainly ALA, but lack EPA and DHA. The body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but it does this very inefficiently. This is why it is very important to ensure you are taking in enough omega-3's, especially EPA and DHA, from your diet.

Cancer

Several studies have reported an anti-cancer effect of omega-3 fatty acids. For example, a study in the “European Journal of Cancer Prevention” suggests a decreased risk in colorectal and breast cancer with increased EPA and DHA intake. These omega-3 fatty acids are believed to reduce tumor growth and improve appetite and quality of life of cancer patients.

Cardiovascular Disease

Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. A study in the Juntendo University School of Medicine in Japan suggests that supplementation of 1.8g of EPA daily for two years led to a significant decrease in the thickness of the arteries together with improved blood flow. Other cardiovascular effects linked to omega-3 fatty acids include reduction in blood cholesterol and triglycerides and reduced tendency for LDL cholesterol oxidation, which is believed to be one of the main causes of atherosclerosis.

Brain

EPA and DHA are especially important for brain development of the infant and in fact are nowadays incorporated in baby food. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been reported to help treat psychotic disorders and prevent memory impairment, according to a study in the “Journal of Neurochemistry." Other brain-related benefits associated with this nutrient include an improvement in cognitive abilities in children with learning problems and a neuroprotective action in Parkinson’s disease sufferers.

Inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, have powerful anti-inflammatory properties through their inhibition of the production of pro-inflammatory molecules. Thus, according to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, these nutrients are especially important in fighting conditions such as arthritis, which are characterized by excess inflammation.

Balancing Your Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Essential For Health and Long Life

Many man and women are concerned about fat. If we think about everything that the media relates to us about the subject of fat, much of it is quite confusing and not entirely true. The patients I see are usually convinced that eating too much fat in their diet makes them fat. However, the truth is that an extremely low-fat diet will not regulate your weight and it will certainly not enhance your health. Truth be told, if you don’t get enough fat in your diet, you will actually be less healthy than if you were to consume healthy fats in your diet.

Luckily our society, in general, is becoming more educated and informed about the importance of fats in the diet, most importantly including omega-3 essential fatty acids into our daily diets. Next time you are at your local grocery store take notice how many times you see the phrase “good source of omega-3” on some food packages. This is not an accident because food manufacturers have discovered that marketing their items as such will help increase their sales. But it’s still confusing because so many do not understand the difference between these good fats and saturated fats which are present in many processed foods.

Research has confirmed that omega-3 fatty acids can have an excellent effect on impacting degenerative diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and many others. There are anti-inflammatory properties in omega-3 fatty acids and these have shown to have a positive effect for women especially those going through menopause, thus having impact on the preservation of the heart, breast, and bone health, and better yet, it balances their moods.

I know that it sounds too good to be true, but I have seen it in my practice through the years that omega-3 essential fatty acids indeed work wonders. That is why they are considered essential. From your heart to your mind and all the cells in your body, omega-3s are the best kind of fats for your health.

What’s so essential about essential fatty acids?
Many women that come to the clinic have asked “What’s the difference between regular fat and “essential” fat?” The answer is, your body is not able to create essential fatty acids (EFAs), so you have to get them from what you eat. There are two forms of EFAs (omega-3 and omega-6), and they are found in the membranes of every cell in your body!

If we look at the molecular level, EFAs help protect and keep your cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal (GI), and immune systems functioning at their best. EFAs help to insulate your nerve cells and they produce molecular messengers that are part of your central nervous system and your bodies’ immunity.

Listed below are some ways to help you obtain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Please note that there are many foods that have both omega-3 and omega-6, and they are on both lists.

Omega-3 Sources:

• Canola oil
• Eggs
• Flaxseed
• Hempseed oil
• Marine microalgae – most algae-based supplements contain docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], but not eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]
• Pumpkin seeds
• Seafood – sources that are both high in omega-3 and low in environmental contaminants include anchovies, herring, mackerel, oysters, sardines, wild salmon and sardines
• Walnuts

How omega-3s prevent disease
The beauty of omega 3s is that they make such a profound difference in your health and are also quite affordable and easily accessible. They are so good for us because of the anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-3s have long been associated with prevention and treatment of many illnesses, including:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Breast, colon, and prostate cancers
• Burns
• Depression/bipolar disorders
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Schizophrenia
• Skin disorders
• Stroke

It is no surprise that omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most researched topics in the scientific community. They are also one of the most celebrated dietary essentials among people who live a health conscious lifestyle and incorporate whole health into their daily life. The question that remains that is quite baffling is why does the intake of omega-3 fatty acids continue to decline?

The Mega Benefits of Omega 3s

The family of fat is very complex, so to make it less confusing, picture it as a family tree. At the top, there are two different families of fat—saturated fat and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat (butter is one example) is packed with hydrogen atoms, making it solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fat (like olive oil) contains fewer hydrogen atoms, so it is liquid at room temperature. The family of unsaturated fat includes two children: monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. In the polyunsaturated fat family, you'll find omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, and it is the omega-3 family that has been making headlines in the nutrition world.

3 Types of Omega 3s 

There are actually three types of fatty acids that are collectively referred to as omega 3s: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic), and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Besides being hard to pronounce, they are extremely important to your health. Omega 3s are "essential" fatty acids, because they are necessary for health and must be included in your diet (because the human body cannot manufacture them on its own). But what exactly are they used for, and what do they do for human health?

Mega Health Benefits
Extensive research indicates that omega-3 fats reduce inflammation, helping to prevent inflammatory diseases like heart disease and arthritis. In addition to warding off inflammation, omega 3s are also essential to the brain, impacting behavior and cognitive function, and are especially necessary during fetal development. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM), omega 3s may also:

• Improve artery health by helping to reduce plaque buildup and blood clots in arteries that lead to the brain.
• Improve cholesterol by lowering triglycerides and elevating HDL (good cholesterol) levels. These benefits come primarily from DHA and EPA. Learn more about fats that fight cholesterol.
• Improve joint health by reducing joint tenderness and stiffness associated with arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• Improve bone health by positively impacting the body's calcium levels, reducing the incidence of bone loss.
• Improve mental health by helping to insulate nerve cells in the brain, allowing these nerve cells to better communicate with one another. People who are deficient in omega 3s may suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and ADHD.
• Improve skin health by helping to alleviate symptoms related to skin disorders like acne and psoriasis.
• Improve bowel health by reducing inflammation of the bowels, helping alleviate symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Improve lung health by reducing inflammation in diseases like asthma. To read more on this topic.
• Improve menstrual health by reducing the pain associated with PMS and menstruation.
• Help prevent cancer. Colon, breast, and prostate cancers have all been correlated with low intakes of omega 3s.

Sources of Omega 3s
The three different types of omega 3s are found in specific types of foods.

ALA is found primarly in foods of plant origin, but it's also found in other foods such as beef. The richest source of ALA is flaxseed, but it is also found in hempseed, canola oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, linseeds, walnuts, and walnut oil. Once ingested, the body converts ALA into EPA and DHA, allowing it to be more readily used by the body. However, this conversion isn't very efficient. That's why experts recommend including EPA and DHA sources in your diet as well. 

DHA is found in seafood, algae, and coldwater fish such as salmon, sardines and albacore tuna. *Note: Fish oil supplements and vegetarian DHA supplements (containing algae) are also available in liquid and capsule form, but always consult your health care provider before taking any supplements. Only use fish oil supplements that have been certified to be free of heavy metal contaminants like mercury.

EPA is found in many of the same foods as DHA, including cold-water fish such as salmon, and sardines, as well as cod liver, herring, mackerel, and halibut. *Note: Fish oil and vegetarian algae supplements are also good sources of EPA, but always consult your health care provider before taking any supplements. Only use fish oil supplements that have been certified to be free of heavy metal contaminants like mercury.

Enriched eggs that contain all three types of omega-3 fatty acids are readily available these days. These eggs are enriched by adding flaxseed or algae to the hens' diets so that they produce eggs that are rich in healthy fats. According to the Flax Council, omega-3-enriched eggs provide almost half of the recommended daily level of ALA and one-quarter of the recommended daily level of EPA and DHA—the same amount that can be found in 3 ounces of fish. 

To get the recommended levels all types of omega 3s, aim for:

• 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (or 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil) daily. To learn more about storing and using flaxseed.
• 2 to 3 servings of the above-mentioned fish sources per week. In general, fresh fish contain more DHA and EPA than frozen fish. To learn more about fish selection and safety.Omega 3s might seem overwhelming at first. But once you understand the types and "mega" health benefits that come with them, you'll be on your way to improving your health.