Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
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Adding fats to your diet is essential if you want to live a
healthy lifestyle that results in feeling and looking great, but
it has to be the right kind of fats. Essential fatty acids fall
within this category and are a crucially important addition to
anyone's diet.
Omega-3 essential fatty acids are made up of two components: DHA
(which stands for docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic
acid).
The best source of DHA and EPA are fish, especially salmon,
seaweed, shellfish and algae. Furthermore, you can also get
omega-3's from unrefined whole grains, dark & leafy greens and
certain nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds.
This second group contains ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which your
body then converts to EPA and DHA.
Your best bet, however, is to get your omega-3's from seafood
because your body converts only about 15 percent of dietary ALA
to EPA and much less to DHA.
What do you do if you don't like, and absolutely refuse to eat,
seafood? Well, fortunately you can get omega-3's in capsule
form. Not everyone's stomach can handle these capsules, but try
them out for one month. It's an extremely convenient way to add
omega-3's to your diet.
When purchasing omega-3's in pill form, you'll notice some
products also contain the other two components of essential fatty
acids: omega-6 and omega-9. Stick with the products that contain
only high amounts of omega-3's. Most people already get high
amounts of these two fatty acids from their diet, and it's this
lack of omega-3's that is potentially the culprit behind many
health problems today.
When adding omega-3's to your diet through pills, look for 1,000
mg pills and take 3-9 per day with food depending on your current
health status and healthy living goals. Your physician should be
able to consult with you about this.
So now you have a good introduction into omega-3 fatty acids and
the different ways to add them to your diet, but what are the
health benefits associated with them?
Plenty! Here's a quick list and you can also easily do some
research by searching for "benefits of omega-3" in your favorite
search engine.
- stabilizes blood sugar levels and lowers insulin levels
- boosts your immune system
- encourages your body to burn fat and decreases appetite
- improves your mood and attention span
- reduce inflammation
- improve your skin tone and radiance
If the above doesn't get you excited about this proven,
inexpensive and easy-to-get fatty acid supplement, then check
your pulse!
It's an addition to your diet that will help improve your health
by leaps and bounds.
The following is a news item from our archives.
Omega-3 fatty acids improve heart health measures in the elderly
A study published in the April 2005 volume of the medical journal Chest, indicates that omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish oil may improve heart function even after short-term supplementation.
Researchers followed 58 people aged 60 or older who were randomly assigned to take either marine derived omega-3s (fish oil) or plant derived omega-3s (alpha-linolenic acid) from soy oil. The oils were taken as 1 gram capsules, twice daily for 6 months.
A measure of heart-healthiness called heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed every other day. Supplementation with 2 grams/day of fish oil was associated with a significant increase in HRV. Supplementation with 2 grams/day of soy oil also significantly improved HRV, but to a lesser degree than the fish oil.
In addition to other factors known to improve heart health, such as exercise, weight loss, and stress reduction, taking a daily omega-3 oil supplement may therefore reduce the risk of developing irregular heart rhythm or succumbing to sudden cardiac death.
The following 2 articles were supplied by News Canada.
Mom was right, fish is brain food
Omega-3 oils may help prevent Alzheimer's and dementia
(NC)-For Canada's four million seniors, eating fish containing omega-3 oils may be the key to preventing Alzheimer's and maintaining their independence well into old age.
Almost half a million seniors currently suffer from Alzheimer's and other dementias, which gradually destroy their memory, their ability to reason and even their power of speech. Over the next 25 years, this number is predicted to double.
But not if Stephen Cunnane, Canada Research Chair in the Metabolism and Aging of the Brain at Université de Sherbrooke, has anything to do with it.
Through his research, Cunnane has found that seniors suffering from Alzheimer's have low levels of fatty acids in their bodies.
"Fatty acids, particularly the omega-3 oils found in salmon, sardines and flax seed, are true brain foods," he says. "They are essential for proper functioning of the brain at every stage of life."
In other words, a lack of fatty acids in the body could be a contributing factor in the development of Alzheimer's and dementia later in life.
To uncover the reason why Alzheimer's patients have such low levels of fatty acids, Cunnane is now closely monitoring and comparing the levels of these substances in seniors with Alzheimer's and those without.
"We're trying to determine how, as we age, our bodies change the way they metabolize fatty acids," he says. "In short, can we prevent Alzheimer's by getting seniors to eat more foods that are rich in omega-3 oils? Or should we be looking at medicines that help them absorb the fatty acids instead?"
By examining these two possible solutions, Cunnane hopes his research will open new doors in the battle against Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, and allow seniors to live independently as long as possible.
Source : Université de Sherbrooke, Liaison, March 4, 2004. To learn more about the Canada Research Chairs program, click here.
Why do we need Omega-3?
By J. Caroline Carroll
(NC)-Omega-3 is called an "essential" fatty acid, so it certainly sounds like we should know exactly what it is - and as importantly, we want to know where to get it in the foods we give our families.
"Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat, known as the 'good fats', and are important for good health," says Sue Mah, a Toronto-based registered dietitian. "Research tells us that omega-3 fats can reduce blood clotting, control inflammation, and lower the risk of heart disease."
"Omega-3 fatty acids are called 'essential' because our bodies can't make them, so we need to get them from the foods we eat," Mah continued, "The problem is that most of us probably aren't getting enough omega-3 fats."
There are two sources of Omega-3 fatty acids:
. Animal Source: Almost exclusively in fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, rainbow trout and mackerel.
. Plant Source: Walnuts, canola and soybean oil all contain omega-3 fats. Flax seeds and flax seed oil are one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fat.
"A daily intake of 1.1 g to 1.6 g of Omega-3 is recommended by health experts," says Sandra Kim at Ronzoni Foods Canada, makers of Catelli pasta, a brand name that offers 12 varieties of whole grain pasta in their Healthy Harvest line. "A serving of our Flax Omega-3 Pasta provides as much as 0.8 g of Omega-3 - and at wholegrainpasta.ca several tasty recipes for flax and other pasta varieties are at your fingertips.
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