The Omega-3 Rage Continues! Today, More Americans Are Eager To Gain The Promising Health Benefits Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

By Jean Kelly


In fact, recent polls show that omega-3 supplements are now the first supplement choice of most Americans, with multivitamins in second place. The benefit of taking omega-3 supplements are numerous and are supported by a large body of scientific research. Several prominent organizations like the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization have affirmed these benefits, especially for promoting heart health.

What about you? Are you wondering how omega-3 supplements can help you? Omega-3 fatty acids were made popular after two major people group studies observed the dietary patterns of the Greenland Inuit tribe and those who followed a Mediterranean diet.

Take your supplements all at once or throughout the day, as you prefer, but stick to a consistent schedule.Your body needs a supply of good fats for energy and the normal development and growth of brain and heart cells.

But bad fats can lead to increased health risks. How a particular type of fat influences your health depends on its unique blend of fatty acids. Some fatty acids increase your risk for cancer, heart attack, and stroke, while some help to protect against it. The trick is in knowing which fats are necessary for normal growth and development and which fats you should avoid or use in moderation. Saturated fats are found in animal products like meat, cheese, butter, and cream. They're also found in tropical oils like palm and coconut. Eating too much saturated fat can increase your risk for coronary artery disease, diabetes, and obesity. Eating animal fat can also raise cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature.

We get enough of omega-6 through numerous foods in our diet like seeds, nuts, and refined vegetable oils. Oils that contain omega-6 fatty acids are used to manufacture processed foods. In fact, soybean oil, prevalent in fast foods, may contribute to 20 percent of the calories in a typical American diet.

Over the years our dependency on fast and processed foods have increased leading to a high intake of omega-6 and not enough of omega-3 fatty acids. The average American diet contains about 14 to 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3. This imbalance in the essential fatty acids is believed to lead to many major ailments prevalent today. Experts advise getting a higher dose of omega 3 while limiting your intake of omega 6 fatty acids.

Monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids can help protect your cardiovascular system. Sources of monounsaturated fat include olive, canola, or peanut oil. Omega 9 (oleic acid) is the most prevalent monounsaturated fatty acid in nature. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.

Since these fish also contain impurities and contaminants like lead, mercury and other PCBs, consumption should be limited to just twice a week. Pregnant and lactating mothers are advised not to eat certain fresh fish because of impurities present in them. An excellent option to fresh fish consumption is high-quality pharmaceutical grade omega-3 supplements.

Omega-6 oils can support heart health, but they can also provide negative health effects when consumed in excess. Omega-3 fatty acids support brain, heart, and joint health. Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are liquid at room temperature.

Estimates from studies in Stone Age nutrition and modern-day hunter-gatherer populations suggest that humans have consumed a diet consisting of fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables for thousands of years. This diet was much lower in saturated fatty acids than our current diet and contained small amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, in a 2:1 ratio.

But in the past 100-150 years, things have changed. Our diets are now disproportionately high in omega-6 fatty acids, with some ratios as high as 30:1. Why is this?

Supports joint health. Since omega 3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect, many people have found great relief from joint discomfort by taking omega-3 supplements.

Trawling and refrigeration have increased the popularity of white fish, like cod and haddock, over fatty shoreline fish like herring and sardines. White fish contains much lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Production-oriented agricultural practices have decreased the omega-3 content in green leafy vegetables, eggs - and even farm-raised fish - compared to the amounts found in the wild version of these same sources.

EPA and DHA are two of the most important omega-3 fatty acids. And both EPA and DHA are essential nutrients, which means that your body needs them for normal function but cannot produce them.

Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids can complement each other if they are in a healthy balance with each other. One way to restore the ratio is to increase omega-3 levels.

They are absolutely essential for normal health and development. Without them, cells can't function, renew, or maintain themselves properly. Omega 3s promote cardiovascular health, support a healthy memory, are crucial for learning ability, help brain and vision development of infants, and promote natural joint flexibility and mobility.




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