Omega 3: Foods Containing Omega 3
Posted by Michael Byrd on Apr 29 2007 | Tagged as: Fish Oil
Omega 3 foods should be a major part of everyone’s diet. Why?
The answer’s simple. Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), have been found to prevent or relieve heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, certain cancers, emphysema, asthma, ADHD, depression and a whole host of serious health problems. And it seems like every week new scientific evidence is announced confirming the health benefits of omega 3 foods.
There are three main omega 3 fatty acids ALA (alpha-lenolenic acid), DHA and EPA. However, most of the exciting breakthrough research has been done on the anti-inflammatory properties of DHA and EPA, which are found primarily in cold water fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, albacore tuna, anchovies, herring and mackerel.
ALA, on the other hand, is found primarily in plant foods, such as grains, seeds and nuts, particularly walnuts. Other good food sources of plant based ALA are soy beans, tofu and cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Flax and flaxseed oil, for example, are heavily promoted commercial sources of omega 3 ALA.
But even though ALA has benefits for good health, it’s nowhere near as an effective anti-inflammatory agent as fish and fish oil sourced DHA and EPA. The human body, however, can convert ALA into DHA and EPA.
But, according to the latest state-of-the-art science, this conversion is a very difficult, complex process and that, even under ideal digestive conditions, no more about 2% of ALA is ever converted to EPA and almost none to DHA.
In fact, in one recent U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, for example, only two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of flaxseed ALA was converted into EPA and none (zero) was converted to DHA. The NIH research team concluded that flaxseed oil ALA should not be considered as a substitute for fish and fish oils in the diet. (Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 42: 1257-65)
If you want the maximum health benefits of omega 3 PUFAs, especially DHA and EPA, most nutritional experts agree the best food source is, without a doubt, cold water fatty fish or a high quality fish oil supplement.
That’s why the NIH, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association recommend that everyone eat at least two servings a week of fatty fish, and, preferably, as many as four or five. For those people who don’t or won’t eat fish, a daily fish oil supplement containing a combined 1,000 mg of DHA and EPA will provide the desired omega 3 health benefits.
So to look and feel your best, get started today eating more grains, seeds and nuts for ALA and lots of fatty fish for DHA and EPA.
