What Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
Omega-3 fatty acids are good for you, that’s something we’ve known for quite some time now, but do we know why? I didn’t until I did some research.
Why Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are family of unsaturated fatty acids that your body can’t make itself and it’s an essential nutrient for your body. What exactly is the Omega-3? (warning, chemistry coming up) The three in Omega-3 refers to the fact that the first double bond exists as the third carbon-to-carbon bond in the methyl end of the carbon chain; that’s not important to know though when it comes to why Omega-3’s are important for you but I figured I’d share it anyway.
There are several Omega-3 fatty acids but the three that are the most important are:
- α-linolenic acid (ALA),
- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and,
- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Since your body can’t produce these essential fatty acids, you have to eat them!
What To Eat?
So, what should you be eating to get these fatty acids? ALA is found mostly in seeds such as flax and soybean. EPA and DHA sources are fish oil, such as from cod, salmon, sardins, mackerel and herrings. If you’re not a fan of fish or flax seed, you can simply buy supplements that provide these fatty acids.
2 People have left comments on this post
Jul 27, 2008 - 11:07:35Thanks for the article - I’ve found that adding flax seeds into my diet is pretty easy - they are great on salad, and easy to integrate if you bake your own bread.
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