Omega 3 Fatty Acid: Types and Benefits
“Healthy inside, Healthier outside”
Omega 3 is prominent for its numerous health benefit properties. The fact is, the fats, though shunned upon, are required by the body to carry out various vital functions, thus, forms a critical component to a healthy diet. Being an essential member of the fats family, you must obtain Omega 3 from your food, as our body cannot produce them on its own, therefore, it is suggested, to acquire it from your diet: foods, beverages, or dietary supplements.
Omega 3 fatty acid belongs to the genre of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The three foremost Omega 3 fatty acids are:
- Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA),
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Plant oils: flax seeds, soya bean, walnuts, and canola oils are rich in ALA. On the other hand, EPA and DHA can be obtained from fish and other seafood.
ALA, the most essential fatty acid, when consumed, subsequently body converts the consumed ALA into EPA and DHA. However, the conversion occurs in an immensely slight percentage, hence, it becomes insufficient for the body.
Therefore, to fulfill the need for Omega 3 fatty acids in the body, one must consume food or dietary supplements that are rich in Omega 3.
Fatty acids not only help you to stay alive and kicking, despite that, fats are also an important element of the membranes that surround each cell in the body. At the same time, it provides calories to boost your energy within a body and performs several different tasks in your heart, blood vessels, lungs, immune system and endocrine system (a network of hormone-producing glands).
Surprisingly, the intake of some fats, in turn, helps you to reduce cholesterol as well as risk for cardiovascular diseases. Omega 3 fatty acids come up with the following health benefits, it:
- Lower blood pressure
- Slows down the development of plaque in arteries
- Reduces the possibility of abnormal heart rhythm
- Decline triglycerides and,
- Diminish the likelihood of heart attack and
Nature has surely gifted us foods, with the presence of Omega 3 in it and some of those foods have been listed below:
- Seafood: Fish, salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines
- Seeds: flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts
- Oils: flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil
- Nutritive foods: eggs, yogurt, juices, milk, soy
- Dietary supplements: fish oil, krill oil, cod liver oil, and algal
The effect of Omega 3 on health has been studied by scientists and professionals and concluded: lower risk of chronic disease within people who consume fish and other seafood. But, it has not been proven yet whether these health benefits come from eating these foods or by the presence of Omega 3 fatty acids in these foods.
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Tags: health, nutrient, omega3 fatty acid