Earlier this year, a study was released indicating why people who drink soft drinks lead to weight gain. Other than the obvious answer to that question—i.e. soda being LOADED with sugar and carbohydrates—the study found that those who drank large amounts of soda also tended to make other poor dietary choices. With this in mind, a recently released study finds that the soft drink’s harder friend—alcohol—proves to be a harbinger of bad health as well.

According to a recent study, heavy drinkers of alcoholic beverages tend to make poor dietary choices in general. But more specifically, researchers believe heavy alcohol drinkers have lower levels of essential fatty acids (like omega-3s), among men in particular.

Published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, researchers reviewed 4200 men and women’s alcohol levels and compared those levels with their levels of essential fatty acids. What they found was that as blood alcohol levels rose, essential fatty acids levels fell. Researchers are unsure if this decrease is linked directly to alcohol, sapping the body of essential nutrients; or if it’s an indirect link. At this point, they lean toward the latter: that heavy alcohol drinkers (and I say “heavy” in terms of amount of consumption, not heavy in terms of girth) tend to make poor dietary choices.

True, diminishing levels of omega-3 fatty acids won’t pose an immediate health risk, but they can pose health risks in the long run. Indeed, a low omega-3 fatty acid count can trigger long term health problems that likely wouldn’t have materialized if omega-3 levels were higher. For instance, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States, and low omega-3 fatty acid levels are a symptom of cardiovascular disease. Low omega-3 levels can also lead to depression, fatigue, dry skin, joint pain and diabetes. Maintaining healthy fatty acid levels helps: prevent obesity by stimulating hormones in the body that regulate the body’s appetite and metabolism levels; reduces inflammation, which often leads to rheumatoid arthritis if left unchecked; decreases triglyceride levels, blood pressure levels and heart arrhythmias, which are often a pre-cursor to cardiac arrest.

So, what are some of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids? Fish are rich with omega-3s, salmon chia seeds, and mackerel in particular. A four ounce piece of salmon will give you 83 percent of your daily omega-3 needs! Foods besides fish that are rich in omega-3s include soybeans, Winter squash, tofu, walnuts, cabbage, broccoli, romaine lettuce, even oregano! But if you’re looking for the food that’s absolutely loaded with omega-3s—look no further than flaxseeds. Just two tablespoons of flaxseeds contains a whopping 140 percent of your daily omega-3 nutritional needs!

How much omega-3s do you need in a day? It depends on who you ask. The consensus seems to be that men should consume at least 1.6 grams of omega-3s per day, while women should consume approximately 1.1 grams per day. But if you ask other health professionals, they recommend consuming as much as 4 grams per day, or enough so that 2 percent of your caloric intake comes from omega-3s (based on a 2000 calorie a day diet).

The point is, get these nutrients into your system. If your diet has been lagging in this area (or if you physically have been lagging, as fatigue is a symptom of low omega-3 levels) making small adjustments to your diet can help (e.g. Sprinkle some oregano in your tossed salad, or pepper your homemade whole wheat bread with some spoonfuls of flaxseed).

Another effective way of increasing your intake of omega-3 is by supplementing. I recommend trying Carlson's liquid fish and cod liver oil. It has a pleasant lemon flavor and contains adequate amounts of EPA and DHA. Carlson's uses strict standards to ensure purity.

In short, put the drink down, and pick your diet up.