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Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids considered to be essential to human health. According to the website RichInOmega3.com, "Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats." Your body must find these fatty acids in the foods you eat. Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial in helping to prevent a variety of diseases and discomforts.
There are three major kinds of omega-3 fatty acids. The University of Maryland Medical Center lists them as "alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Once eaten, the body converts ALA to EPA and DHA, the two types of omega-3 fatty acids more readily used by the body."
These fatty acids are commonly found in both fish oils and certain vegetable oils. -
Oils designed for cooking or eating that are high in omega-3 fatty acids generally contain the ALA form of omega-3. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids are present in flax seed oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, soybean oil, pumpkin seed oil, perilla seed oil, and walnut oil.
Some canola oils can now be purchased with the added benefit of having the omega-3 fatty acids found in algae oil added to the canola oil. The algae oil has omega-3 in the form of DHA, a more easily used form than the ALA of the canola oil.
Fish oil and cod liver oil are chock-full of omega-3 fatty acids in the EPA and DHA forms and are generally consumed in supplement form. -
Canola oil can be used in cooking to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Perilla seed oil and walnut oil can also be used in cooking, though they are not as versatile as canola oil. Pumpkin seed oil and walnut oil are good for making dressings and for drizzling directly onto foods. Flax seed oil can be added to foods to increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acid.
You can purchase supplements made with fish oil, cod liver oil and flax seed oil. When purchasing fish oil supplements, pay attention to the amount of EPA and DHA rather than to the amount of fish oil per capsule. If you have heart problems or other health issues, check with your physician to determine the optimum amount of omega-3 fatty acids to take in your supplement to attain the benefits without any adverse side effects. - By using oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, you can easily balance your diet and benefit your health. Research is still being done to discover the extent to which omega-3 fatty acids will help you. There appears to be a long list of benefits to these fatty acids. Increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet will promote heart health, help with depression, promote healthier skin, alleviate arthritis pain, help prevent breast cancer, lower bad cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Diabetes, prostrate cancer and some mental disorders such as schizophrenia and ADHD are also being found to benefit from omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. (See Resources below.)
- To reap the benefits of oils high in omega-3 fatty acids, it is important to also eat less food containing omega-6 fatty acids. "Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation," reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. "A healthy diet should consist of roughly 2 to 4 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids," the medical center notes, but most American diets contain significantly more omega-6 fatty acids than that. Too much omega-6 or not enough omega-3 creates an imbalance, which can raise the risk of disease. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in meats and in most cooking oils. Even cooking oils that have good supplies of omega-3 fatty acids usually have omega-6 fatty acids as well. According to University of California in San Diego, cooking oils that supply only omega-6 and no omega-3 are corn, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame and sunflower. These oils are not necessarily bad for you but need to be used in moderation depending on your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
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As with everything in your diet, practice moderation and balance your intake with other foods. If you can use sources rather than oil---such as flax seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and fish---to incorporate omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, do so. The University of California in San Diego website states, "Summarizing good and bad oil recommendations: Get most of your oil from food, not from oil in a bottle. When you do use oil in a bottle, go for the unrefined."
Be aware that most of the vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids are more difficult for the body to process than those found in fish and algae.
Be aware that fish and fish oil can contain mercury and other environmental contaminants.
Before taking supplements, be sure to check with your health care provider.
