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Supplement Guide
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Continue to learn more about Supplements: Supplement Information Page
Supplement Information:
Omega 3 Fish Oils
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Overview
A. About/Omega's 3,6, & 9
B. Cost
C. Effects
D. Pros and Cons
E. Try It
A. About
Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for health and cannot be made by the body. You must get these from your diet and are found in fish, oils, and nuts including:
• Grains
• Spirulina
• Brazil Nuts
• Hempseed Oil
• Mustard Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Chia Seed Oil
• Wheat Germ Oil
• Canola Oil (Rapeseed)
• Green Leafy Vegetables
• Raw Walnuts & Walnut Oil
• Flaxseeds or Flaxseed Oil
It gets its name from the location of a double bond in its chemical makeup. As the name implies, omega 3 fatty acids have the first double bond at the 3rd position from the end of the fatty acid chain.
Omega-3 fatty acids are also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids which are the healthy fats you need to function properly. They play a vital function in brain activity as well as growth and development. These supplements have also gained widespread popularity because of possible risk reduction of heart disease with consumption.
The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least 2 times week to maintain healthy levels of omega-3’s. Omega-3’s have been shown to reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of many diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
Symptoms of Omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies can lead to a wide variety of effects: fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, depression, poor circulation, and mood swings.
Omega 3, 6, and 9 Fatty Acids
All three are necessary for good health but your body only makes omega fatty acid 9. This makes omega 3 and 6 important as you can only get them from your diet.
The two most important acids that makeup the omega 3 fatty acid family are called “eicosapentaenoic acid” (EPA) and “docosahexaenoic acid” (DHA). DHA is important for pregnant or nursing females and small children for brain development while EPA’s are important for everyone else.
DHA’s and EPA’s have anti-inflammatory effects and make up omega-3 fatty acids while omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory. You need both to create a balance. This is where the problem comes for most people.
Inflammation may seem like a negative reaction but really it is important for our immune responses. When cells are injured they release histamines that increase the permeability of blood vessels. This allows blood to more readily flow from your vessels to your skin at the site of the injury. Inflammation only becomes a problem when it is occurring at a more chronic rate which is linked to heart and many other diseases.
Often there is a one sided ratio with far more omega-6 levels present. This in part is due to the fact that not too many foods are full of omega-3 fatty acids compared to omega-6. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a ratio of 5:1 to 10:1 (omega-6: omega-3). As you can see a 1:1 ratio is not necessary but healthier to more balanced a ratio you can get.
Omega-9 fatty acids are mono-saturated fats as opposed to the polyunsaturated fats that omega 3 and 6 are. These are usually found in oils but our bodies naturally produce them so they aren’t as big a deal.
When our bodies are deficient in omega 3 or 6 fatty acids, omega 9’s will try to compensate for them and take their place. This is when omega-9 fatty acids become important.
B.Cost
Average: $15-$30
This is only an average and many can cost more or less than this range.
C.Effects
• Increase HDL cholesterol
• Decrease LDL cholesterol
• Decrease risk for cancer and other diseases
• Decrease fat levels
• Maintain overall health
D.Pros and Cons
Pros:
Maintain Cholesterol. Raise your good cholesterol (HDL) and lower your bad (LDL).
Reduce Risk of Disease. Supplement omega fatty acids and reduce your risk for heart disease, cancer, and a number of other diseases.
Fat reducing. By taking in healthy fats, your body is willing to let more fat go as opposed to holding onto it with low fat diets. This is why low fat diets do not work.
Easy Consumption. Most omega fatty acid supplements come in easy to take pill form usually 2-3 times a day with meals.
Cons:
Marketing. There have been a lot of bad companies out there putting a ineffective fish oil products out there. But the good ones really do provide great benefits! (Below is a good example of a quality product.)
E.Try It
Here is a link where you can purchase a popular and effective Omega Fatty Acid product at a very competitive price:
