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Omega - 3 Fatty Acids for Dummies


You probably read that today is Omega-3 Awareness Day in the news, because health today has priority over earthquakes. I wonder if anyone in Chile was controlling blood pressure by regularly consuming foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Makes you think. But as our hearts go out to those suffering calamities in this, so-far catastrophe driven year, heart health continues to gain eyeballs through the eternal pursuit to live well. And this increasingly includes talk of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, so the need to create the right awareness can’t be too far behind.

What are Omega-3 Fatty Acids and why does every food product, newspaper, magazine and TV show talk about its benefits? What do labels like ALA, EPA & DHA Omega-3 Fatty Acids mean? Backtracking Omega-3 benefits is like backtracking the Palestine & Israel conflict – no one really tells you how it all began. In this case, thankfully, the Omega-3 Wiki page has a definite answer:

Excerpts for the lazy clickers: Although omega-3 fatty acids have been known as essential to normal growth and health since the 1930s, awareness of their health benefits has dramatically increased in the past few years.… Benefits were discovered in the 1970s by researchers studying the Greenland Inuit Tribe. The Greenland Inuit people consumed large amounts of fat from seafood, but displayed virtually no cardiovascular disease. The high level of omega-3 fatty acids consumed by the Eskimos reduced triglycerides, heart rate, blood pressure, and atherosclerosis.
Here are some of the Omega-3 Fatty Acids’ health benefits:

  1. Reduces risk of coronary heart disease.
  2. Supports normal development of brain, eyes, and nerves.
  3. Stimulates blood circulation.
  4. Reduces triglyceride levels. (High triglyceride levels increase risk of heart disease)
  5. Reduces heart attack risks.
  6. Helps fight arthritis.
  7. Helps alleviate depression.
  8. Helps control anxiety.
  9. Protects against psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. Anyone going d-oh!
  10. Helps prevent cancer. This I had trouble digesting. A very tall claim for the acids I must say.

The debate
 about whether Omega-3 Fatty Acids are actually wonder nutrients or not, ranges from disbelief to reasonable nutritionist speak. Nysha Bijlani, nutritionist and proprietor of Mint Health – a fitness studio, says that while Omega-3 Fatty Acids are important, a balanced intake of other acids like Omega-6 for instance, is just as important. “Since Omega-3 Fatty Acids are not produced by our bodies, we need to consume them. But natural food sources are better than artificial or concentrated supplements,” is what she had to say about the current trend of over-emphasis on just Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Wholesome foods like fish and eggs for non-vegetarians and flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts for vegetarians are your best bets for Omega-3 Fatty Acids intake.

Maybe kryptonite was just another name for Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Superman just didn’t want us regular folk in on his fishy secret! Bottom-line? Don’t go Omega-3 crazy while shopping for foods at your local markets, but give the claimed benefits a chance and eat that fish!

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