Dietary Sources of Omega 3 - Discover the Best Sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Their Benefits
Micheal Thomas asked:
Did your doctor suggest that you increase your intake of oily fish or green leafy vegetables? Including sources of omega 3 in your daily diet can help you get rid of itchy skin, increase your I.Q, reduce joint pain and even control your cholesterol levels.
Omega 3 or polyunsaturated fats form an important part of our cell membranes and are crucial for the healthy functioning of our brain and heart. However, these fats cannot be synthesized by our body and we need to obtain them from our diets.
The three essential fatty acids or Omega 3 are Docosahexaenoic acid, Eicosapentaenoic acid and Alpha-linolenic acid. While DHA and EPA fats can be instantly absorbed and used by our body, ALA fats need to be converted into DHA and EPA fatty acids.
When it comes to increasing your omega 3 intake, you do not need to carry a food index chart to your kitchen. Simply include more sources of omega 3 fatty acids in your daily diet and benefit in innumerable ways.
The dietary sources of Omega 3 can be divided into three categories - Aquatic or Non-vegetarian sources, Egg sources of omega 3 and Vegan or Plant-based sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
The Aquatic sources primarily include cold-water fishes such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and Hoki. Other seafood such as halibut, scallops, shrimps and crabs are also considered good sources of Omega 3.
The Hoki fish found in the cold ocean waters of New Zealand has naturally high contents of DHA and EPA fatty acids. Fish oils extracted from the Hoki fish are considered quite superior since they have 40% higher DHA content than other fish oils.
We prefer fish oils over eating fish in the natural form; we will come to the reason behind this later.
The opinion of various researchers is divided on the egg sources of omega 3. However, most of them consider duck eggs and chicken as good sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Plant-based sources of omega 3 include dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, tofu and soybeans. Walnuts, hemp seeds and certain vegetable oils like flaxseed oil, canola oil & sunflower oil are good vegan sources of Omega 3 fats.
Unless you have an aversion or allergy with fish, it is best to consume fish oils for obtaining the maximum amount of omega 3. Plant-based sources of Omega 3 contain ALA or alpha-linolenic acids that need to be further converted into EPA and DHA fats by our body.
Fish oils provide both EPA and DHA fats in the natural form which can be easily absorbed by the cell membranes. Consuming fish oil regularly will keep your heart healthy and your nervous system functioning effectively.
Coming back to our preference for fish oils over eating fish in the natural form, let us tell you why.
We all are aware of the growing levels of mercury in ocean waters. Such toxins make regular consumption of fish in large quantities unsafe for your health. This is the reason why doctors and health experts consider fish oils to be one of the best sources of omega 3.
Not all fish oils are created equal and only the fish oils that are molecularly distilled are free of all toxins such as mercury, metals and PCBs. Purchase pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled fish oils since they are the purest form of omega 3 fatty acids.
Did your doctor suggest that you increase your intake of oily fish or green leafy vegetables? Including sources of omega 3 in your daily diet can help you get rid of itchy skin, increase your I.Q, reduce joint pain and even control your cholesterol levels.
Omega 3 or polyunsaturated fats form an important part of our cell membranes and are crucial for the healthy functioning of our brain and heart. However, these fats cannot be synthesized by our body and we need to obtain them from our diets.
The three essential fatty acids or Omega 3 are Docosahexaenoic acid, Eicosapentaenoic acid and Alpha-linolenic acid. While DHA and EPA fats can be instantly absorbed and used by our body, ALA fats need to be converted into DHA and EPA fatty acids.
When it comes to increasing your omega 3 intake, you do not need to carry a food index chart to your kitchen. Simply include more sources of omega 3 fatty acids in your daily diet and benefit in innumerable ways.
The dietary sources of Omega 3 can be divided into three categories - Aquatic or Non-vegetarian sources, Egg sources of omega 3 and Vegan or Plant-based sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
The Aquatic sources primarily include cold-water fishes such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and Hoki. Other seafood such as halibut, scallops, shrimps and crabs are also considered good sources of Omega 3.
The Hoki fish found in the cold ocean waters of New Zealand has naturally high contents of DHA and EPA fatty acids. Fish oils extracted from the Hoki fish are considered quite superior since they have 40% higher DHA content than other fish oils.
We prefer fish oils over eating fish in the natural form; we will come to the reason behind this later.
The opinion of various researchers is divided on the egg sources of omega 3. However, most of them consider duck eggs and chicken as good sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Plant-based sources of omega 3 include dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, tofu and soybeans. Walnuts, hemp seeds and certain vegetable oils like flaxseed oil, canola oil & sunflower oil are good vegan sources of Omega 3 fats.
Unless you have an aversion or allergy with fish, it is best to consume fish oils for obtaining the maximum amount of omega 3. Plant-based sources of Omega 3 contain ALA or alpha-linolenic acids that need to be further converted into EPA and DHA fats by our body.
Fish oils provide both EPA and DHA fats in the natural form which can be easily absorbed by the cell membranes. Consuming fish oil regularly will keep your heart healthy and your nervous system functioning effectively.
Coming back to our preference for fish oils over eating fish in the natural form, let us tell you why.
We all are aware of the growing levels of mercury in ocean waters. Such toxins make regular consumption of fish in large quantities unsafe for your health. This is the reason why doctors and health experts consider fish oils to be one of the best sources of omega 3.
Not all fish oils are created equal and only the fish oils that are molecularly distilled are free of all toxins such as mercury, metals and PCBs. Purchase pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled fish oils since they are the purest form of omega 3 fatty acids.