It has been all over the news and doctors have been recommending fish oils for heart patients for years, but what is an omega-3 fatty acid? A fatty acid is a building block of triglycerides and therefore, it is a building block of fat in the body. Omega-3 refers to a specific class of fatty acids that make up unsaturated fats, and they are also a necessary part of our diet.
It seems peculiar to recommend that people need to ingest more fat, especially since those same cardiologist recommend a low fat diet. The truth is we need fat in our diet, it is a vital part of who we are, and these omega-3 fatty acids are a necessary part of our diet, because our body can not synthesize them from scratch. The important point to remember is that we need the right types of fat in our diet.
There are different types of omega-3 fatty acids including EPA, DHA, and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). DHA and EPA are found primarily in fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon. The American Heart Association recommends eating these types of fish at least two times a week. It is also important to consume foods reach in ALA as well. This fatty acid can be converted into DHA and EPA in the body, so this makes ALA an essential nutrient in the body. ALA can be found in tofu, and other forms of soybeans, canola, walnut, and flaxseeds, and their oils.
As far as what amounts of these fatty acids are necessary for optimal health, the jury is still out. It is currently suggested by the American Heart Association that 500-1800mg of EPA and DHA are necessary on a daily basis. For ALA, it is recommended that we consume 1500-3000mg per day. If you need to know what all of this is for, here is a short list of benefits that come from consuming omega-3s: decreased risk of heart arrhythmias (which can lead to sudden heart attacks), decreased triglyceride levels, decreased growth rate of atherosclerotic plaques in our arteries, decreased resting heart rate, and it can even help lower blood pressure. One recent study by the American Psychosomatic Society even suggests that omega-3s may help improve our moods. The study found that people who have lower levels of omega-3s were more likely to report symptoms of depression, more likely to be in a negative mood, and more likely to have higher levels of impulsive behavior.
All of this can be helped by simply taking fish oils every day. As a doctor, I here my patients complain that when they take these pills, it makes them have to burp. You can imagine this is not very pleasant since we are talking about “fish.” The solution is simple; freeze your fish oil pills. Simply keeping these pills in the freezer means that when you take them with water, the pills will travel farther down our digestive track before breaking down, and therefore they will be less likely to create an unpleasant burp. For further information on the benefits of fish oils, ask your doctor or check out www.americanheart.org.