Published in January 30th, 2010
Advertisements
Everybody knows about Omega 3’s, or has the term being thrown around. It’s the latest health buzz word, and even the big corporations are starting to promote the presence of it in their food. We all know we need to eat Omega 3’s, but not everybody is clear on exactly what the benefits are, where to get them and exactly why we should be making such an effort to do so. Let’s review the basics, examine the pros and cons, and then determine the best places for you to get your Omega 3’s from.
Omega 3’s are an essential nutrient. That means that your body cannot create it by itself, and it must be consumed within your diet to ensure your body gets the amount it needs. Omega 3’s are a fatty acid, and contain such crucial acids as a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), all of which are polyunsaturated. These fatty acids are essential in promoting numerous health benefits which I’ll detail below.
An important source of Omega 3’s are fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines. You can also find Omega 3’s in a variety of nuts such as walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts and flaxseed, as well as in eggs, grass-fed beef, milk and cheese from grass-fed cows, microalgae and flaxseed oil.
An important thing to keep in mind is that the amount of Omega 3 you ingest is important relative to the amount of Omega 6’s. In 1963 it was discovered that Omega 6’s are converted by the body into pro-inflammatory agents called prostaglandins, and in 1979 another three types were discovered. These four are known as eicosanoids, and have important biological functions, but if created faster than they can be metabolized, they can cause serious health problems related to cardiovascular disease, triglycerides, blood pressure and arthritis. Omega 3’s are also converted into eicosanoids, but at a much slower rate. Thus, the ratio of Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s in your system will determine how much of each are converted, and whether you’ll make more than your body can handle. A ratio of 1:1 to 1:4 Omega 3’s to 6’s is considered healthy, but many Americans have ratios of 1:20, which causes the problems listed above. Thus making sure you consume enough Omega 3’s relative to your Omega 6’s will keep you healthy.
What are the health benefits? They’re related to the prevention of synthesizing too many eicosanoids, which can cause inflammation in the body. Thus some of the body of preventing too much inflammation are reducing blood pressure, reducing blood triglycerides, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease for people with a history of heart attacks. There is also good evidence that proper consumption of Omega 3’s can reduce the rate of heart disease in all people, not just people with a history of cardiovascular disease, and help people with morning stiffness and joint tenderness. Further, a new study just released in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Jan 2010) revealed that the more Omega 3’s you consume, the slower the length of your telomeres decreased. Telomeres are the structures at the end of a chromosome that get shorter the more ties a cell divides, making them a significant marker of your body’s biological age.
So, the long and short of it is that Omega 3’s are an excellent source of key fatty acids which your body synthesizes into eicosanoids at a slower rate than Omega 6’s. While eicosanoids are vital to your body’s functioning, making sure their levels don’t exceed your body’s ability to metabolize them plays a vital role in preventing cardiovascular disease and damage caused by over-inflammation.
if you are interested in keeping your energy levels high after a challenging workout, try the http://www.extremefitnessresults.com/p90x-recovery-drink_p_54.htmlp90x recovery drink, blended to provide your body with an optimal balance of carbs and protein for maximum recovery. use it after a challenging http://www.extremefitnessresults.com/power-90-in-home-boot-camp-_p_120.htmlpower 90 workout, and see the results the next time you hit the gym!
Related posts:
- What You Need To Know About Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Why You ... Practically every day, a headline will scream about this or that new diet supplement that produces amazing health benefits. These supplements, of course, usually come and go. However, one compound very much in the news these days is likely to be around for a long time. These are the omega-3 fatty acids. Why is this [...]...
- DHA an Essential Fatty Acid For Better Health DHA is a fatty acid that is essential for many body processes and structures. Fatty acids are the building blocks that create lipids, which are important nutrients that make up 25 to 45 percent of total body energy for most of those who are living in industrialized countries. The majority of dietary fatty acids are [...]...
- The Food Industry’s Greed: How Misleading Omega-3 ... There’s an Omega-3 travesty a-foot and if the American consumer doesn’t become aware of it very soon, they’ll unfortunately know first hand the day inflammation rears its ugly head – and according to Harvard, for 3 out of 4 Americans, it already has. FDA Qualifying Health Claim for EPA and DHA When the FDA issued [...]...
- Omega 3s May Help Calm Some Children With ADD Or ADHD Do you have a child that has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Does treating your child, or children, with one of today’s most common treatments for these conditions with an amphetamine-type drug like ‘Ritalin’ bother your conscious feelings of guilt? If so, you are not alone. [...]...
- Fish Oil To Help Fight Cholesterol In these times of ever increasing rates of heart disease and stroke, people all over the world are looking for healthy alternatives to lessen their risk of developing fatal disorders. In the war against cholesterol and other risk factors for vascular disease, fish oil may just be your most vital secret weapon. Fish oil is [...]...
- Fish Oil Supplements May Help With Allergies, Inflammation ... There is a popular belief that fish eaters are brainy and beautiful. In fact, it’s often observed that people who live in the unpolluted coastal regions have doe shaped eyes, radiant skin and a sharp brain. Many people have researched on this occurrence and attributed the cause to the heavy intake of fish in the [...]...
- What Are The Benefits of Fish Oil When the words oils and fats are mentioned, health-conscious individuals tend to run for cover. What they fail to realize is that there are good fats and bad fats. Complete avoidance of intake of oils and fats would actually be detrimental rather than beneficial to their health. The Truth about Fish Oil – Essential fatty [...]...
- Vitamins Can Support the Immune System and Fight ... Inflammation is a normal part of the body’s defense against pathogens. The increase in body temperature, flood of toxic free radicals and inflammation-signaling proteins, and release of killer macrophage cells are the main signs of an inflammatory event that is the body’s long-established means of defending against a clear and present danger. This adaptive response [...]...
- How to Increase Your Metabolism – An Insight Into ... Metabolism refers to a multifaceted biochemical process happening within our bodies at cellular level. It is a complex mechanism and involves concurrently happening processes like anabolism and catabolism through an array of metabolic pathways. Anabolism involves the formation of newer molecules while catabolism is the break up of larger molecules into smaller ones and is [...]...
- 3 Amazing Benefits of Fish Oil For Diabetes and Asthma ... The fish oil is oil which is found in fishes and that offers many benefits for the health. It has many essential nutrients from which the omega-3 fatty acids are mostly found in it. Some eating fish like tuna, trout and salmon can also be used as for the fish-oil and it can also be [...]...
Previous post:
«
Chiropractor In Toledo OH | 4 Things You Can Do to Prevent ...Next post: Why Lap Band Weight Loss Surgery Has Become So Popular in ... »