Omega 3s have received quite a bit of publicity over the past few years, but truthfully they have been considered an important fatty acid since I was in college studying Nutrition back in the 1970’s and 80’s. Over the past 30 years we have learned a lot about omegas. While I was in college I remember going to the local health food store with fellow Nutrition majors prior to exams to stock up on stinky, fishy, foul tasting capsules to improve our memories. And let me tell you, they were gross! Research was already published back in the 80’s proving they could help with memory and attention, but we have since learned so much more and been able to do so much more to improve upon products containing omega 3s!
So let’s dive into your science lesson for today. Omega 3s are fatty acids, which are considered good fats. Our bodies need fats in our diet, but there are good fats and bad fats. Bad fats are primarily found in saturated fats and trans- fats. Saturated fats are solid fats from sources such as beef, dark meat chicken, butter, whole milk dairy and egg yolks. Trans-fats are synthetically-made hydrogenated fatty acids appearing in products such as vegetable shortenings, margarine and many snack foods. Omega 3s, on the other hand, can come from some plant sources such as flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts, or from cold water fish, krill and egg oil. ALA omegas, which come from plants such as flax seeds, are very good for fighting inflammation, fighting free radical damage and acting as antioxidants in your body. They are also good for your metabolism and may help with regularity, so they are great to have in your diet. However, EPA and DHA omegas are magical omegas!
EPA and DHA are incredible fatty acids, which cannot be manufactured by the body, but come from cold water fish such as salmon, cod, tuna, anchovies, sardines and mackerel. They are life giving to our bodies! They have been proven to aid in circulation and blood flow, dramatically help improve joint health, improve eye health and boost your immune system with their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. But their greatest claims to fame are in helping to increase cognitive ability and to prevent heart disease.
There is so much here to talk about, so we will stick with one topic at a time. Let’s talk about the brain today. Did you know that 90% of your brain is made up of fat cells and 70% of those fats are omega 3s? By consuming the proper balance of DHA omegas to EPA omegas (a ratio of 2:1) every day, you can actually increase the number of brain cells you have and even increase the size of your brain. Now don’t worry, your head won’t suddenly get larger and your brain won’t explode, but you will definitely get smarter! Additionally, it’s important to know our brains usually shrink with age. In fact, our brains will usually start shrinking at age 45, ending up 11% lighter in weight than in early adulthood.
Read more at: http://www.newbeginningsbaltimore.com/blog/omega-threes/
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