What Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
Omega-3 fatty acids are like special nutrients found in certain foods like fish and flaxseeds. They’re also in things called dietary supplements, which are like special pills you can take.
Our bodies can’t make ALA on their own, so we need to get it from the foods and drinks we have. Our bodies can change a little bit of ALA into EPA and then DHA, but not a lot. So, if we want more EPA and DHA, we need to eat foods with them or take supplements.
Omega-3s are like important building blocks for the walls of our cells. DHA is especially high in some important cells like those in our eyes, brains, and sperm. Omega-3s also give our bodies energy and help with lots of things like our hearts, blood vessels, lungs, immune system (which helps us stay healthy), and glands that make hormones.
What foods provide omega-3s?
Some foods have omega-3s in them naturally, and sometimes they’re added to other foods to make them healthier. You can make sure you’re getting enough omega-3s by eating different kinds of foods, like:
- Fish and seafood, especially cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines.
- Nuts and seeds, like flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.
- Oils that come from plants, like flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil.
- Some special foods that have extra omega-3s added, like certain types of eggs, yogurt, juices, milk, soy drinks, and baby formulas.
Different Kinds of Omega-3s:
There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids, which are like special fats that your body needs:
- EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid): This one comes from fish.
- DHA (docosahexaenoic acid): Also from fish.
- ALA (alpha-linolenic acid): This type is found in plants.
Omega-3s are like vitamins that your body really needs, but you have to get them from the foods you eat. When you eat foods with ALA, your body can turn a little bit of it into EPA and then into DHA. But this process doesn’t give you a lot of EPA and DHA. So, it’s important to eat foods with EPA and DHA directly, like fish, to make sure you have enough of them.
Benefits of Omega 3 Fatty Acids:
Omega-3 fatty acids can be really good for your heart and overall health. They might help you in these ways:
Could potentially make the chances of getting heart disease lower.
The main reasons people die a lot around the world are heart attacks and strokes, which are like really bad heart problems.
A long time ago, smart folks noticed that places where people ate a lot of fish had fewer heart problems. And guess what? This is because of something called omega-3, a special thing in fish.
Omega-3 stuff is really good for your heart. It can:
- Make your blood fats called triglycerides go down a lot.
- Boost the good cholesterol in your blood, which is called HDL.
- Stop little parts in your blood from sticking together and making dangerous clots.
- Calm down the redness and swelling that happens in your body.
Some people also say that omega-3 can make the bad cholesterol (LDL) go down, but not everyone agrees on this.
But, even though omega-3 is super helpful for your heart, it’s not sure if taking pills with omega-3 can totally stop heart attacks or strokes. Some studies say yes, but many say no.
So, eating fish or other things with omega-3 is good for your heart, but the pills might not be a superhero against heart problems.
May Help Bone and Joint Health:
Your body has bones that help you move and stay strong. Sometimes, things like weak bones (osteoporosis) and painful joints (arthritis) can happen.
There’s a type of fat called omega-3 that might be able to help with these problems. It could make your bones stronger by putting more calcium in them. This could make it less likely to have weak bones when you’re older. But, not all studies agree, so more research is needed to be sure.
Omega-3s might also be like medicine for arthritis. In one study, these omega-3 things helped people with painful joints feel better. But we still need to do more studies to really understand how omega-3s can help bones and joints.
Improves Eye Health:
There’s something called DHA, which is a special type of omega-3 fat. It’s like a big part of the building blocks in your eye’s retina, which helps you see things clearly. When you don’t have enough DHA, your eyes might have trouble working right and you might not see well.
It’s kind of cool that when you make sure to have enough omega-3 stuff, it can help lower the chances of having a problem called macular degeneration. This problem can hurt your eyes a lot and even make you not able to see, so it’s good to eat omega-3 things to take care of your eyes!
Good for ADHD Children’s:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is when someone has trouble paying attention, is super active, and does things without thinking first.
Some research shows that kids with ADHD might have lower levels of omega-3 fats in their blood compared to kids without ADHD.
And guess what? Some older studies say that taking omega-3 pills might help make the ADHD symptoms better.
These special fats might help kids pay better attention and finish tasks. They could also make them less hyper, less impulsive (doing things without thinking), and less likely to act out or be aggressive.
But we’re not completely sure yet. Some studies say omega-3 pills don’t really make a difference for ADHD symptoms.
So, while omega-3s might help, we still need more research to be sure.
Protect Against Cancer:
Omega-3s might help prevent cancer, which is a big cause of death in the United States.
Old studies say that people who eat lots of omega-3s might have a much smaller chance of getting colon cancer.
Also, omega-3s could lower the risk of prostate and breast cancers, according to some studies. But not all studies agree.
Depression:
Some smart people who study stuff found that in places where folks eat foods with lots of omega-3s (a special kind of fat), they seem to be less sad. But when they gave people pills with omega-3s from fish oil to see if it helps with feeling down, the results were kind of mixed. They’re still not sure if these pills can really make a big difference in fixing the sad feelings.
Baby Growing:
Babies need something called DHA for their eyes and brain to grow right. It’s like special food for their eyes and thinking.
Trouble Breathing (Asthma):
If you eat foods with a lot of omega-3s, it can help calm down the swelling in your body. This swelling is what makes it hard for some people to breathe (asthma). But they’re still figuring out if taking fish oil pills can help people with asthma breathe better or need less medicine.
Where to Get Omega-3s?
It’s better to get omega-3s from foods rather than pills. Try to eat fish that have good omega-3s like DHA and EPA at least two times a week. Some of these fish are:
- Anchovies
- Bluefish
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Marlin
- Orange roughy
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Sturgeon
- Lake trout
- Tuna
But watch out: some fish can have bad stuff like mercury or toxins. Fish like mackerel, wild swordfish, tilefish, and shark might not be the best. Safer choices are wild trout and wild salmon.
If you want to get omega-3s from plants, you can eat:
- Walnuts
- Flaxseed and flaxseed oil
- Canola oil
- Soybean oil
- Chia seeds
These foods are good for you, but some like oils and nuts can have lots of calories. So, enjoy them, but don’t eat too much.
