Are you getting enought omega 3 fatty acids?

As everyone know, there is a major craze about Omega 3 fatty acids. But do people really know the benefits of this long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid? How do we get more of this?

First of all, the majority of us don't get as much as we need. American's normal diet will include more the the Omega 6 fatty acids. Interesting enough, these two fatty acids can not be made in the body, which mean we HAVE to get it from our diet. That is opposed to Omega 9, your body makes that naturally.

Second, the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids compete for the same enzymes to elongate. For our body to use these fatty acids, they have to elongate to be 20 carbons in length. These enzymes will favor elongating the omega 3 over the omega 6 and omega 9. The big concern with not getting enough omega 3 is that from the elongation of omega 3, we get specific eicosanoids (20 carbon chains) that will be converted to other molecules that can greatly help our body.

These molecules can then help with lowering our risk of heart disease (the #1 killer in the US), lowering triglyceride levels in the blood, and is anti-atherosclerotic (meaning that less plaque will accumulate in your arteries). These are some major advantages of increasing the omega 3 fatty acid content in your diet.

You may ask, "How do I do that?" It can be very easy! Some of the foods/oils that contain omega 3 include:
- flaxseeds and flaxseed oils
- fish oils or eating cold water fish (salmon, cod, etc)
- walnuts
- avocados
- canola oil

These are just to name a few

So the next meal that you eat, keep in mind how you can incorporate some omega 3 fatty acids. In the long run, your body and heart will thank you.

P.S. this will help also with adding exercise to your everyday routine :)