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How To Find Good Omega 3 Sources For Good Health
It is now quite clearly established after numerous scientific studies that polyunsaturated Omega 3 fatty acids are very good for our health. Lets examine the background to this and see if we can find some good Omega 3 sources to include more Omega 3 fats in our diet.
Some decades ago it was found that the Eskimos had essentially lower rates of common lifestyle diseases that afflict so many of us in the US. For example they had dramatically lower rates of heart disease and heart related problems.
Studies were undertaken on the Eskimos and also on other populations of people exhibiting similar characteristics. After some study it was established that the Eskimos and others were so healthy primarily because of their intake of Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish. The Eskimos have a diet very high in fish and very low in red meat.
Numerous studies since that time have now established that increasing our intake of Omega 3 fatty acids has a wide range of health benefits and that most adults in the US are deficient in the 2 most important Omega 3 fats, DHA and EPA.
There are in fact a number of important Omega 3 fats. DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) other 2 most important of these but are not the only ones. There is, for example, other healthy polyunsaturated fats such as ALA and DPA.
However the most important of all essential fatty acids is DHA. This is present in large quantities in the brain and is one of the essential fats responsible for brain development.
So clearly, if we are deficient in these fats, we all ought increase our intake of these beneficial fats. So what are good Omega 3 sources that will allow us increase our dietary intake?
DHA and EPA are both found in fish in the greatest quantities. In the past it has also been possible to source DHA and EPA from red meat and eggs however modern intensive farming practices such as grain feeding have reduced the levels of these 2 Omega 3 fats dramatically.
The American Heart Association recommends that we all eat a minimum amount of fish each week. However it is sad to say that there is a conundrum over eating fish. Fish is contaminated with toxins such as Mercury and the FDA recommends that we not eat too much fish for this reason.
Therefore it seems clear that fish in any quantity may not provide the ideal dietary sources of Omega 3 fats. We need to find other DHA sources and EPA sources that we can eat safely and daily.
Modern fish oil capsules allow us to safely take daily doses of DHA and EPA safely. The best fish oil supplements are quite clean and can safely be taken daily. Note that not all fish oil supplements are good ones.
So clearly fish oil supplements are good sources of Omega3 fats. In fact this is by far the best way to take your healthy polyunsaturated fats daily. Fish oil supplements are both easy to take and cheaper than eating fish.
However before we conclude a discussion of the best Omega3 sources we need to consider another issue. What about vegetarians? Some vegetarians eat fish but some do not. For those who do not eat fish there is a quandary. Obviously they cannot take fish oil supplements and so how do they get their supplies of DHA and EPA?
There are a number of food sources of Omega 3 fats that have the polyunsaturated fat ALA. However ALA is not nearly as beneficial to the health as DHA because ALA cannot be synthesized directly by the body but rather it must be converted to DHA in the body and this is an imperfect process.
Therefore plant sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are not as effective as taking fish oil capsules. However for the vegetarians who cannot take fish oil capsules it is possible to get DHA from marine sources. These are vegetarian DHA supplements sourced from Micro algae which is where the fish get their DHA and EPA from in the 1st place.
And there are also good plant based Omega 3 sources that are worth eating regularly despite the fact that the ALA is not as effective as DHA. This includes many oils such as canola oil, olive oil and flax seed oil. There are also foods such as walnuts and soya beans that are good dietary sources of Omega 3 fats.
For most of us the very best Omega3 sources are fish oil supplements. However it is possible improve our intake of healthy polyunsaturated fats by adding the right oils and some other plant based foods to our diet as well.
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