There is a growing rage these days about omega-3 fatty acids. Several food products are being tagged with omega-3 fatty acids indicating that this nutrient is indeed all-encompassing in its nutritional advantages. We used to think that fats and its smaller components, fatty acids, is something to be abhorred. Considering the society’s queasiness against anything pertaining to fats, omega-3 fatty acids provides an alternative since this type of fat has shown to prevent many medical disorders.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fats, which is different from lard and butter that are saturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats are liquid if placed both inside the refrigerator and at room temperature. Saturated fats may be helpful to the body’s nutritional needs, but omega-3 fatty acids goes beyond since it can prevent several diseases from developing. There are three substances important in omega-3: alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Our body cannot produce these three fatty acids by itself. It is therefore important to increase them in the diet. Excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids are from flax seeds, walnuts and sardines. Salmon and cloves are very good sources of the nutrients too. For those who love green leafy vegetables, they can get omega-3 from Romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, kale and summer squash. Tofu and halibut are also good sources of omega-3.

According to the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine linolenic acid must be limited to 1.6 grams per day for males and 1.1 gram per day for female. But a conflicting recommendation is also issued by the National Institute of Health, where they require a normal person to consume at least 4 grams of omeaga-3 fatty acids per day. Based on this, 2 tablespoonfuls of flax seeds can already provide 199.6 percent of the recommended daily allowance while 94.6 percent of the daily value can be given by just a quarter cup of walnuts. For salmon lovers, a 4 ounce of the fish, which give 157.6 calories, can already provide a little more than half of the required daily value of omega-3 fatty acids. But what are most important in omega-3 are the health benefits it can give to the body.

1. It Relieves Menstrual Pain

   When a woman is having menstruation, she usually experience abdominal cramps, or what others would call menstrual cramps. Menstrual cramps keep women in bed; it keeps women from being productive. In a study conducted for 42 women, they were asked to take in fish oil supplements. Fish oil supplements are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. The result is that women who are taking fish oil reported less menstrual cramps compared to those who took the placebo. The reason for this is omega-3 fatty acids suppresses the prostaglandin that causes the inflammatory symptoms caused by menstrual cycle. Instead, these prostaglandins are replaced with another beneficial prostaglandin that instead of causing the negative effects of menstrual cycle, replaces it with the positive effects, such as reduction of platelet aggregation and of inflammation and improvement of blood flow.

2. It promotes good vision

   Elderly who are developing macular degeneration, the leading cause of age-related legal blindness, may benefit so much from increasing consumption of foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. In a study of over 38,000 women conducted for over 10 years by the researcher from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, it showed that women who have been consuming the most amount of DHA has 38 percent lower risk in developing age-related macular degeneration than women who consumed the lowest amount of that particular omega-3 fatty acids. The same result was also discovered for those who consumed the most amount of EPA. As to the results of fish intake, women who consume at least a serving of fish, either in a can or fresh dark-skinned fish, per day has 42 percent lower risk in developing macular degeneration than those who consume only once in a month. This clearly means that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in having good vision, especially for the elderly.

3. It reduces arthritis symptoms

   Two types of arthritis have shown to respond well to omega-3 fatty acids. The first is osteoarthritis. According to a study made by the University of Bristol, consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the early signs of degradation of joint tissues. Omega-3 seems to protect the cartilage’s collagen from further degradation. The molecules that give the joint its shock-absorbing properties are also reduced with increased consumption of the said nutrient. For those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, an article in Nature magazine features the research where omega-3 fatty acids DHA are converted to Resolvin D2, a chemical that can help reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. By increasing consumption of this nutrient, particularly coming from fish, symptoms of arthritis are reduced.

4. It reduces diabetes risk

   Diabetes is one of the obesity-related chronic diseases. Studies show that those who have been consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids have normal amounts of triglycerides and C-reactive protein concentrations. Compared to those who consume less omega-3 fatty acids, their triglycerides and CRP in their blood are high. If triglycerides and CRP are reduced, this indicates that obesity is reduced, which further means that the risk of developing diabetes is lowered.

5. It promotes brain health

   Although the test was conducted on mice, there are indications that decreasing the amounts of omega-3 fatty acids can have a damaging effect on the synaptic functions of the nerve cells which will have an effect on the emotional behaviors of the person. Once omega-3 is removed from the diet, such as in the case of the modern processed foods today, there is an increase tendency of developing depressive behaviors. Many studies also shows that omega-3 fatty acids can improve learning, increase memory, and help in fighting mental and mood disorders, as well as schizophrenia. This is due to omega-3’s ability to support the synaptic plasticity. Omega-3 is one of the essential foods to promote healthy brain.

6. It is good for the heart

   Those who abhor fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are more likely to develop heart problems by 90 percent within 8 years, than those who are eating fish regularly. This result can be compared to those who do not eat any types of fish regardless of omega-3 fatty acid’s contents, who are more at risk by only 50 percent within 8 years. The long chain of polyunsaturated fatty acids seems to be the reason on why the heart and vascular organs are protected. For cardioprotective benefits, it is imperative to increase intake of omega-3 fatty acid rich foods.

Sources
naturalhomeandgarden.com
kerryg.hubpages.com
sciencedaily.com