The human body can make most of the types of fats it needs from other fats or raw materials. However, that is not the case for omega 3 fatty acids – the body can’t make them from scratch, but must get them from food. They are therefore called Essential Fatty Acids
What makes omega 3 fatty acids so special?
Omega 3 fats have been shown to:
• prevent heart disease and stroke
• reduce chronic inflammation
• help control auto immune disease such as lupus, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, crohn’s disease and Type 1 diabetes
• reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and ADHD in children
• reduce asthma in children
• alleviate menstrual pain
• improve bone and joint health
• improve skin health – hydration and oil production, prevent premature ageing and acne, and protect from sun damage
There are three main omega 3 fatty acids :
• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) come mainly from fish
• Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the most common omega-3 fatty acid in most Western diets, is found in vegetable oils, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and leafy vegetables. Unfortunately ALA is not very active in the body, and is mostly used for energy, so whilst it is a very good source of healthy fat, it doesn’t really contributed to EPA/DHA intake– as only around 5% is converted to EPA, even less to DHA.
What is best way to ensure Optional Intake of EPA/DHA ?
Eat fatty fish 2 times per week minimum. One of the easiest, most convenient and economical ways is to eat tinned Sardines.
I find lots of my clients are happy to eat tinned Tuna, which provides around 150mg of Omega 3 fatty acids per serve, but Sardines provide 2900mg per serve – nearly 20 times as much.
There is no set standard for how much combined EPA/DHA you need each day, although healthy experts generally recommend 250- 500mg per day. So one tin of tuna per day is not enough, whereas if you had tinned Sardines 2 times per week instead –you are smashing it.
Before screw up our nose and say “yuk” …. Spend the $3 and just try them …you might be surprised.
My favourite way is to have them as part of a big salad for lunch, others enjoy them on sourdough toast, or just straight from the tin as a snack.
