Omega 3 Dietary Supplement - Essential for Good Health
| By Micheal Thomas Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial for our health, especially our heart and brain. But to achieve all these benefits, we need to increase our intake of a quality omega 3 dietary supplement. What exactly are the omega 3 dietary supplements that can be consumed regularly? Omega 3 or Essential fatty acids are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are an important component of our cell membranes. These include Docosahexaenoic acid, Eicosapentaenoic acid and Alpha-linolenic acid. To keep the description jargon free, let's denote these by their abbreviations - DHA, EPA and ALA respectively. All these are good fats and are important for the proper functioning of our organs. However, these cannot be directly manufactured within our body and we need to solely depend on our diet and omega 3 dietary supplements to get them. Studies show that the diet of more than 85% of the population of Western countries is deficient in omega 3 fatty acids. Contrary to this, countries such as Japan and Malaysia survive on mostly fish which is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. This is the reason why those countries have very low rates of cardiovascular disorders. How do you find out whether your body needs Omega 3. The answer to this is simple since each and every human being needs DHA & EPA fats for the healthy functioning of their nervous system and maintaining a healthy heart. Some of the general symptoms of omega 3 deficiency include excessive fatigue, dry skin, skin allergies, brittle hair & nails, memory problems, joint pain and heart problems. In such cases, you need to consult your physician and increase your intake of a quality omega 3 dietary supplement or food rich in DHA & EPA fatty acids. This brings us to the main aspect of this article, which are the best omega 3 supplements available for us? The omega 3 dietary products or food sources of essential fatty acids are limited as compared to the food sources of omega 6. Omega 3 products fall under two categories - Vegan omega 3 dietary supplement and Non-vegetarian omega 3 food sources. The Vegan or plant-based Omega 3 dietary sources include green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, tofu, soybeans, green beans, hemp seeds and walnuts. Some of the vegetable oils are also a good source of omega 3. These include flaxseed oil, canola oil and sunflower oil. However plant-based omega 3 dietary supplement contain ALA or Alpha-Linolenic acids. ALA fats cannot be directly used by our body and need to be broken down into EPA and DHA to be absorbed by body's cell membranes. This conversion is slow but doctors believe in most cases these are enough to fulfill our body's omega 3 needs. The non-vegetarian sources or the Aquatic sources of omega 3 fatty acids are cold-water fishes such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines and Hoki. Other seafood such as scallops, shrimps and crabs are also a good source of omega 3 fats. The richest omega 3 dietary supplement is Fish Oil. Fish oils contain both DHA and EPA fatty acids. Thus, they can be utilized by the body instantly and give maximum benefits. Researches show that DHA or Docosahexaenoic acid is the main component of our brain cells. Thus, for a higher I.Q and better intelligence, it is important that you choose a fish oil rich in both DHA and EPA. Hoki fish found in the southern oceans of New Zealand has naturally high levels of DHA and EPA. Fish oil extracted from Hoki fish has 40% more DHA content than other oils. Make sure you buy a pharmaceutical brand, molecularly distilled fish oil to ensure purity. Micheal Thomas is an editor for a series of health related websites. Learn about the best fish oil capsules that we ourselves use daily after extensive product comparisons and research over at http://www.omega-3-fish-benefits.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Micheal_Thomas |
