Looking for the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids? Nature has given us a number of different foods that contain these super-healthy essential fats – but not all of them contain useful amounts. So here I’ve gathered some research to help you work out which sources of omega 3 fatty acids are best for you.
We cannot produce essential fatty acids in our own bodies so we need to get them in our diet. There are several different omega 3s but the most important ones are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
These are long-chain, highly unsaturated fatty acids. DHA is the most complex of these and it is responsible for building tissue in the brain and retina, as well as lowering triglycerides and improving brain function. EPA is beneficial for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis. Your body can use EPA to make DHA but the conversion is not very efficient so it’s best to eat foods that contain more DHA than EPA.
Plant sources
Plant sources of omega 3 fatty acids include flaxseed, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and soybeans.
These plant-based sources generally don’t contain EPA and DHA, however. They contain another omega 3 called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Our bodies can convert ALA to EPA (and so eventually to DHA) but the conversion process is quite difficult. You need about 11 grams of ALA to get just one gram of DHA.
Animal sources
Animal sources of omega 3 fatty acids include fish oil, fish liver, grass-fed beef (not grain-fed) and milk from grass-fed cows, and eggs from chickens fed on greens and insects.
Animals sources contain EPA and DHA, with oily fish having the most concentrated amounts.
So, on the whole, it’s best to eat animal-based omega 3 products, particularly oily fish. If you really don’t want to eat fish or other animal products, you can find microalgae products (seaweed) that have been produced in bioreactors to increase their natural levels of DHA.
Fish oil supplements
While it’s a good idea to increase your consumption of oily fish as one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids, there are some drawbacks to eating more fish.
Unfortunately, many of the oily fish species caught in the world today, such as tuna, salmon and mackerel, may contain high levels of heavy metals (mercury and lead), PCBs and dioxins. These substances can cause cancers and developmental problems and many health experts now advise people to be wary of eating too much fish, even at the risk of eating too little omega 3.
Fortunately, there is an alternative. Fish oil supplements provide all the advantages of oily fish with reduced risk of contaminants.
This is because fish oil can be filtered to remove any contaminants. Many people also find that taking a fish oil capsule or two a day is easier – and even cheaper – than cooking and eating several meals of fish.
It’s very important that you choose your supplements carefully. Ideally, the fish used in the supplement should be as free from contaminants as possible before being treated. The best fish oil comes from the species hoki, which is caught in the clean waters of the Southern Ocean off the coast of New Zealand. Combined with tuna oil, it is molecularly distilled to reduce any last tiny trace of contaminants.
Overall, fish oil is the best of all sources of omega 3 fatty acids and it could be argued that supplements are even better than the fish itself, in terms of freshness, purity and safety. If you would like to know more about omega 3 and its benefits for your health, and about the supplements I use myself, please visit my website.
My name is Therese Samson and I promote natural approaches to health and well-being for the whole family at http://www.my-omega-3.com, where you’ll find out about the many ways omega 3 fish oil can improve heart, brain, skin and immune system health.
