OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Vita
Sep 15, 2022
2 min read

Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fats. Three primary Omega-3 fatty acids are DHA, ALA, and EPA. All three are critical for brain health. (1)

Omega-3 fats are important for stabilizing the rhythm of the heart, lowering triglycerides, mood (as they combat depression), helping prevent the most common types of cancer and many more.

It is commonly known, that you get your omega-3 from fish, but the fish are only a mediator, same as you think you get protein from animals, but you actually get it from plants. The same is with omega-3 fatty acids and fish. Fish don’t make the omega-3 fats, they get them from the plankton and algae! There are also many other plant sources of omega-3.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

Structures 97% of all omega-3 fats in the brain and 93% of all omega-3 fats in the retina.

It is a major structural component of the cerebral cortex, part of the brain responsible for memory, language, creativity, attention, and emotion.

Having adequate levels of DHA can protect your body from age-related mental decline. Comparing seniors with lower and higher levels of DHA, those with higher levels are almost 50% less likely to develop dementia and are 39% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. (2)

ALA (alpha-lipoic acid)

ALA works in the body as an antioxidant, it helps lower blood sugar, as it promotes processes that can remove accumulated fat, which otherwise makes insulin less effective. (3) There are other benefits of ALA. It may reduce skin aging, may slow memory loss, promotes healthy nerve function, and reduces inflammation. (4)

Chia and flax seeds have a lot of ALA, only a tablespoon a day is enough to meet the needs. It is better to ground the seeds so the absorption is better. Unground flax seeds are not digestible!

Some other plant foods highest in ALA are canola oil, camelina oil, walnuts and hemp seeds.

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

EPA can reduce symptoms of depression and help fight inflammation in your body. (1)

DHA and EPA are mainly found in sea vegetables and certain algae. Our body can convert DHA and EPA from ALA, but the efficiency of conversion varies from person to person.