Omega-fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effect on your body and are therefore beneficial for your overall health. These healthy fats come in three forms: EPA, DHA, and ALA. Seeds, nuts, and pastured animal foods like grass-fed beef are great sources of ALA, whereas fatty fish like mackerel and salmon are great sources of DHA and EPA. To get maximum omega 3 benefits, your focus should be on increasing your intake of EPA and DHA. Let's find out more about the reasons to include these fats in your diet.
Amazing Benefits of Omega 3
The healthy benefits of omega-3s are quite amazing. Regular intake of foods rich in omega-3s can help treat and prevent several medical conditions. Here are some of the most impressive omega 3 benefits.
1. Improved Heart Health
Wild-caught, cold-water fish is the best source of heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids. These fats help reduce blood pressure, regulate heartbeat, reduce inflammation, and decrease blood clot formation. By providing you with these benefits, omega-3s help protect you from heart attacks and strokes. Moreover, these foods can help reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
2. Fewer Anxiety Symptoms
Include omega-3 rich foods in your diet and you will have a reduction in depression-like and anxiety-like symptom. Giving omega-3 rich foods to your kids will help reduce their risk of developing depression later in life.
3. Reduced Inflammation
One of many omega 3 benefits is that they help reduce inflammation in the body. This in turn will improve symptoms of joint pain and osteoarthritis. Omega-3 supplementation may also help with inflammatory bowel disease. These fats are also beneficial for people with lupus.
4. Better Protection from Cancer
Eating a couple of servings of seafood every week can help reduce risk of cancer. Seafood provides you with omega-3 fatty acids that suppress inflammation in the body. It can also make it easier for you to fight with cancer. Some studies have also shown that omega-3 ingestion can help protect you from colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.
5. Protection from Mental Disorders
Studies show that people with psychiatric disorders usually have low levels of omega 3 fatty acids. By increasing intake of these fatty acids, you can improve your mood. It has also been shown to reduce the frequency of replaces in people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
6. Improved Fetal Health in Pregnancy
Increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy can greatly benefit your growing baby. Your child may have higher intelligence, less behavioral problems, better social skills, and decreased risk of developmental delay when you take enough omega-3s during pregnancy.
7. Reduced Risk of Asthma in Children
Omega 3 fats may help reduce asthma symptoms in children. Symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing may become very serious when you have a severe asthma attack. Therefore, it is important to take steps to reduce its severity, and that is when your child can enjoy the great omega 3 benefits.
8. Better Management of Blood Sugar Levels
Studies show that fish oil can help diabetics control their blood sugar levels. It also lowers your risk of diabetes by preventing oxidative stress. If you already have diabetes, you can take omega-3s to lower your risk of eye-diabetes complications.
9. Protection from Fatty Liver
Many people think that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not that common, but that is not true. With an increase in the obesity epidemic, there is serious increase in the number of people suffering NAFLD. This chronic liver disease is more common in the Western world. However, you can reduce liver fat and inflammation by eating food rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
10. Optimal Skin and Hair Health
You need to include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet to keep your hair and skin healthy. Fish oil is one perfect source of these fatty acids and works by nourishing the skin. It also provides you with fat-soluble vitamins that are essential for maintaining a smooth, elastic texture of your skin. It may also help prevent wrinkles and skin blemishes. It is also effective against eczema and psoriasis. Similarly, you get EPA and DHA from fish oil that prevent skin conditions, such as thinning hair, dandruff, and more.
Best Sources of Omega 3
You already know some of the best omega 3 benefits, but you may be wondering how to increase your intake of these healthy fats. You can do it by including the following types of foods in your diet.
Food Types |
Sources |
Fish |
Mackerel, halibut, salmon, herring, trout, sardines, tuna, oysters |
Dairy and Juices |
Milk, soymilk, yogurt, juice and eggs |
Grains and Nuts |
Flaxseed, bread, pasta, flour, cereal, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, flour tortillas, oatmeal, walnuts |
Fresh Produce With ALA Omega-3s |
Mint, kale, watercress, parsley, spinach |