Omega 3 Benefits Explained

Omega 3 Benefits include improving your health, reducing your risk of heart disease, enhancing mood and brain function, and promoting weight loss.

This article outlines the different types and food sources & how much to supplement for full omega 3 benefits.

Eat MORE Omega-3s

That's the latest push you see all around you!

Omega-3 benefits include improving your health, decreasing inflammation, reducing your risk of heart disease & cancer, improving your mood, enhancing your brain function, reversing the aging process and that's just the start...

Recently, Omega 3 and weight loss have also been linked.

You might be taking an omega 3 supplement now and again, but there is truth in the importance of increasing your intake to get the full omega 3 benefits.

Most people need more omega 3s and here I explain what it is, why it's healthy and how to get it.

What is Omega 3?

Omega 3s are a family of unsaturated fatty acids - typified by having a final carbon-carbon double bond in the n-3 position of its molecular structure.

From a nutritional perspective, the most important for omega 3 benefits are: a-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the short chain form found typically in flaxseed oil; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the long chain n-3s found in fish oil; all of which are polyunsaturated.

While you may think using flaxseed oil over fish oil supplements (or vice versa) as a source of omega 3s seems similar, it is important to realise that in the body (physiologically), they work quite differently. It's not an equal trade.

This is because the body cannot actually make these from scratch - they need the omega 3 fatty acids from the diet to convert linoleic acid into the other two.

These conversions occur competitively with n-6 fatty acids, which is why it's quite critical to get the right balance of omega 3 and 6 in the body. In the western diet, often we consume omega 6s higher than omega 3s, which is the wrong way round!

Omega 3 benefits for health

The heart-health benefits of the "long-chain" omega-3 fatty acids - DHA and EPA omega-3 - are the best known from studies of Eskimos who eat a lot of seafood 'fat' - rich in omega 3s - and yet do not display cardiovascular disease.

Omega-3 benefits are therefore frequently promoted in food products, for example, claims of being 'heart healthy', because high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, heart rate, blood pressure, and atherosclerosis.

Recent research indicates that supplementation provides additional omega 3 benefits, being helpful in cases of depression and anxiety.

Several studies report possible anti-cancer effects of n-3 fatty acids (particularly breast, colon and prostate cancer).

Evidence of other omega 3 benefits to health have been more controversial, such as the ability of DHA to reduce coronary heart disease and to support the normal development of the brain, eyes and nerves, and supporting kidney function.

Nevertheless, markets have jumped on the popularity of omega 3 fatty acids as a health benefit. Food products enriched in omega-3 fatty acids are extremely prevalent in supermarkets nowadays.

What do Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids do in the body?

Omega n-3s and n-6s both convert in the body to pro-inflammatory substances (called eicosanoids, namely prostaglandins, thromboxane and leukotrienes), with the 3s producing more slowly than 6s.

Eicosanoids are largely responsible for the production of insulin and thus can effect storage of fat - see Omega 3 and weight loss. While ordinarily these are metabolised quickly in the body, if more are produced than are metabolised, the excess may cause inflammatory effects.

For example, blood clotting can lead to thrombosis due to clumping of platelets caused by the eicosanoid, thromboxane.

Leukotriene levels are relevant to arthritis and asthma conditions.

Under severe conditions of EFA deprivation, mammals will elongate and desaturate oleic acid to make omega n-9s. These are monounsaturated fatty acids and have been positively associated with breast cancer risk.

What's the best ratio of Omega 3s and 6s?

Eating a diet that is rich in omega 3s in the diet is one way to reduce the synthesis of harmful n-6 eicosanoids. Typical advice is to aim for a 1:1 and no more to 1:4 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6.

This is at odds to the typical western diet giving ratios of anything from 1:10 up to 1:30 - i.e., dramatically skewed toward n-6.

Here are the ratios of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids in some common oils: canola 1:2, soybean 1:7, olive 1:3-13, sunflower (no n-3), flax 3:1, cottonseed (almost no n-3), peanut (no n-3), grapeseed oil (almost no n-3) and corn oil 46 to 1 ratio of n-6 to n-3!

The Acceptable Intake (AI) for n-3 is 1.6 grams/day for men and 1.1 grams/day for women - around 1% of your total daily calories. This would be a bare minimum for nutritional needs. Studies have suggested EPA/DHA should be 10% of the total n3.

The FDA recommends that total dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids from fish not exceed 3 grams per day, of which no more than 2 grams per day are from nutritional supplements.

While there is no upper tolerance limit supported by studies, a perceived risk of fish oil n-3 supplementation has been heavy metal poisoning. The accumulation of traces of mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic and cadmium as well as other contaminants is more likely in less-refined fish oil supplements.

The most stringent current standard is the International Fish Oils Standard (IFOS). Fish oils that typically make this highest grade are those that are molecularly distilled under vacuum, and have virtually no measurable level of contaminants. (E.g. Herbalifeline).

What foods are rich in omega 3?

It's important you get a good range of omega n-3 fatty acids, because you need both the short chain n-3s from flaxseed oil and the long chain ones typically from fish oils.

The most available source of EPA and DHA is cold-water, oily fish. These fish eat omega 3 rich algae or plankton in their diet.

Choose salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies, swordfish and sea trout. These fish oils have a ratio of about 7:1 n-3 to n-6.

Tuna is also a good source although the n-3 is somewhat lower.

Flaxseed oil is great plant source of omega n-3 short chain fatty acids. It is 6 times richer than most fish oils in n-3 and typically contains 50% a-linolenic acid and around 3 times as much omega 3 as omega 6.

Use a garlic-chilli infused flaxseed oil on salads or in sauces - it doesn't taste great on its own (which is why it is typically consumed in capsule form!

The only source of DHA acceptable to vegans is microalgae produced in bioreactors. EPA can be found in the oils from kelp.

Some fruit and vegetables are surprisingly rich in omega 3, notably strawberries and broccoli. Walnuts contain a very rich source of ALA n-3 - 2.6 grams per ounce! - in a low ratio of 1:4 to n-6s.

Many companies now add fish oil or flax oil into their final product to enrich them in omega 3.

Cow's milk products, chicken & eggs are also sometimes naturally enriched by feeding the animals a diet that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. (Some products, particularly eggs can be either DHA or ALA omega enhanced - so don't just go for one type, mix it up!)

Many health promoting 'omega 3' food products and supplements actually contain only a-linolenic acid (ALA), not EPA or DHA. These are worth avoiding, because the conversion of ALA to EPA and further to DHA in humans is quite poor, particularly in men and as you get older.

And so these ALA-only products are much less effective.

My top recommended product is Herbalifeline

This is a product from Herbalife International. I've selected it as my top recommendation for two reasons.

Firstly, I personally use it and can testify to its benefits when used regularly.

And secondly, because it contains much purer and richer sources of omega 3 than you generally see on the market.

Special offer: $40.00 (£27.50)

Herbalifeline also contains glucosamine sulphate in its purest form, which is very important ingredient for the treatment of osteoarthritis as it can help to repair and rebuild worn cartilage.

(This is shellfish derived, other sources are glucosamine hydrochloride, which is much less easily absorbed by joint cells and therefore fairly ineffective as a treatment unless combined with a sulphate, such as chondroitin sulphate.)

Herbalifeline is scientifically designed to reach the body parts other supplements may not (due to the advanced cellular nutrition research behind the Herbalife products) - you get what you pay for!!!

Omega 3 and Weight Loss

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