Omega 3

What is Omega 3?

Omega 3 is a special group of fatty acids. Our body needs them but has no way to manufacture them itself.
The only way we can obtain these acids is through our diet. This is why they are called essential fatty acids.or EFAs

We can get some Omega 3 by eating flax seed, flax seed oil, canola oil, walnuts etc. The problem is that these foods only provide one of the EFAs. They only give us ALA -alpha-linolenic -acid.
Our body can convert some of this into a very small amount of the other EFAs need. The only way we can get enough of those essential fatty acids is by eating oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, halibut, cod, etc.

Many people don’t like eating fish. Some people just don’t like it, some are allergic to fish and others are concerned about the mercury and other impurities in the fish.

But we would have to eat fish three, maybe four, times a week in order to get all our EFAs into our body

Fish contains two very important fatty acids, namely DHA-dacosahexaenoic acid and EPA-eicosapentaenoic acid. DHA is crucial for development of the brain. Is is also needed by the retina.

There are ongoing studies trying to determine how much help it can be in making life easier for children with ADD and ADHD. Can it slow down or stall Alzheimer Disease and Macular Degeneration?

DHA/EPA together can prevent heart trouble and strokes. They are strong antioxidants and are also extremely anti inflammatory. They can prevent thrombosis which is the abnormal formation of blood clots that can cause stroke or heart attack.

How can we make sure we do get enough Omega 3?

If we do not like fish, or for some reason can’t eat it there are products on the market we can use. Many people get Fish Oil. It usually comes in capsules and people take 2-4 a day. They start out with 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. Once they feel the positive effects of the Omega 3 they’re consuming they can often get down to taking only 2 capsules a day.

If you do decide to take fish oil make sure it has 60% DHA/EPA in it. Actually there is an oil which is derived from a mussel which lives in the waters South of New Zealand. It has a very high quality of Omega 3.