Optimize your Health With Omega (Part-3)

 Chapter 5 – Omega 3 & Your Heart

Perhaps you’re wondering how Omega-3 is beneficial to your heart?
If you are concerned about heart conditions, eating a serving or two of fish every week or taking fish oil supplements can lower your chances of dying from stroke or heart attack.

The American Heart Association for many years has suggested that people consume oily fish which are loaded with essential Omega-3 fatty acids at least twice weekly. Physicians have long believed that the beneficial Omega-3 fatty oils contained in fish are the key to lowering the chances of heart diseases and stroke.

More recent studies however indicate that the other nutrients found in fish or a combination of these and the omega-3s in fish may actually be responsible for the amazing health advantages that may be derived from oily fish. Certain people are concerned

that contaminants such as mercury found in fish may outweigh any of its heart-friendly advantages. Although, in terms of having a healthier heart, the advantages of consuming fish or taking fish oil supplements usually outweigh any of the potential risks of exposure to contaminants. These concerns may be successfully neutralized by adding a healthy amount of fish into your eating plan.

Why Are Omega-3s Found In Fish Oils Good For The Heart?

Fish oil found in fatty fish contain unsaturated oils, which when replaced with saturated oils such as those found in meat, may reduce the levels of bad cholesterol. The main advantageous component however appears to be the omega-3 oils found in oily fish. These beneficial oils are unsaturated fatty acids that help lower inflammation in the body which can damage the blood vessels and result in many heart diseases.

Essential omega-3 fatty acids may help lower irregular heartbeats, reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke, lower blood clotting, reduce blood pressure levels and reduce triglycerides.

In children, omega-3 fatty acids may enhance cognitive ability. Consuming at least one or 2 servings of oily fish weekly such as mackerel, tuna or herring appears to lower the chances of developing heart problems, specifically sudden cardiac death. These same cardiovascular health advantages may be obtained from taking good quality fish oil supplements

What Types Of Fish Should You Eat?

Oily fishes such as tuna, sardines, herring, lake trout, or salmon contain high amounts of omega-3 oils and hence the most advantage, although many kinds of seafood contain minute amounts of this beneficial oil as well. Certain types of fish such as catfish and tilapia do not appear to be as heart-friendly since they contain higher amounts of unhealthy oil.

Bear in mind that any type of fish can be unhealthy based on how they are cooked. For instance, baking or broiling fish is usually a healthier option than deep frying.

Experts are concerned about consuming farm-produced fish as compared to wild-caught fish. Experts believe that pesticides, antibiotics, and other types of harmful chemicals used in cultivating farm-produced fish may lead to detrimental effects on individuals who consume the fish.

Despite it all, for good heart health, Omega-3 is recommended and as stated earlier, if you don’t like fish, you can turn to Omega-3 supplements

Chapter 6 – How Omega 3 Helps You Heal

As we have learned, Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that can offer several health benefits.
But, these fatty acids are not the same as saturated fats that you can find in butter and lard. In chemistry, polyunsaturated fats are in liquid form when placed at room temperature. They remain liquid even when you refrigerate or freeze them. Omega-3 is considered essential because your body cannot manufacture it on its own. Because of that, your diet must contain such stuff.

Once ingested, the alpha-linoleic acid is converted into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fats can be found in fish oil, like tuna, halibut, and herring. Some algae also contain DHA. It is the EPA that plays a vital role in preventing cardiovascular disease. The DHA, on the other hand, is important in the proper development of the brain and nerves

Cell Membrane And Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The cell membrane must maintain its fluidity and integrity to perform its functions properly. Keep in mind that if your cells do not have a healthy membrane, then you will lose a significant amount of water and vital nutrients as its ability to store them will be gone.

Your cells’ ability to communicate with other cells will also be disrupted. If your body loses cell to cell communication, it would lead to cancerous tumors. With the help of diets rich in omega-3, your cell membranes will have a high degree of fluidity.

How Do Omega-3s Help Brain Healing?

There are a variety of mechanisms at play, For example, Omega-3 fats:

 Help reconnect damaged neurons

 Inhibit cell death

 Activate genes that help cope with brain damage

Well, that’s a basic overview of how Omega-3 helps you heal. But as more and more research is being conducted and discoveries are made, you can expect much more exciting developments in this area.

Chapter 7 – Omega 3 & The Whole Family…Kids & Seniors

 

Omega-3s are important for the entire family – even the kids and seniors. In fact, it is important for the child’s health right from the start, before they’re even born.

Various studies have shown that infants that are given formulas enriched with the Omega-3 fatty acid DHA show improvements in attention span, hand-eye coordination, intelligence test scores, and even social skills.

Studies have also proven that children who are born to mothers who took Omega-3 supplements (DHA and EPA) during pregnancy scored higher on their cognitive tests at the age of four, in comparison to those mothers who didn’t take the supplements.

A further study indicated that teen children of women who consumed fish oil while pregnant were less likely to develop asthma.

There is also evidence that suggests when Omega-3s are added to the formula, it promotes growth and brain development in infants that are born prematurely

While none of these studies are conclusive, if you have been following this guide closely, you see that there’s a good reason why the entire family should be getting their Omega-3s.

Childhood

Take a look at some of the childhood conditions that have been studied:

Depression – Omega-3 is often turned to as a treatment for depression in adults, and there have been numerous studies in

children as well. One study conducted back in 2006, took depressed children ages 6-12 and gave them fish oil – they found that the symptoms of depression improved significantly.

ADHD – Children that have ADHD may have lower levels of Omega-3s in their bodies than normal. Numerous studies have looked at fish oil supplements as a treatment for ADHD. They found that these supplements may improve behavior, boost attention and reduce hyperactivity in children under the age of

For Middle-Aged and Older Adults

As you get older, your risks of developing serious conditions, such as heart disease will increase. Don’t worry, because there’s good news here – if you have Omega-3s in your diet, those risks will decrease.

The Heart – Omega-3s have major benefits on the heart. Not only can Omega-3s help prevent problems in healthy people, but they can also be used to cut the risk of complications in individuals

who has already been diagnosed with heart disease? Omega-3s can help keep the heart rhythm steady.

Rheumatoid Arthritis – Numerous studies have found that fish oil can help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, such as morning stiffness and pain.

Osteoporosis – Studies have indicated that those who consume higher levels of fatty fish than normal have a greater bone density in their hips.

Memory, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Dementia – Various studies have found that Omega-3s can help prevent memory loss, and lower the risk of dementia in seniors.

As you see, Omega-3s are important for the entire family, from birth, all the way up to seniors. Even if you don’t have health problems, you should make sure you have Omega-3 in your diet, because it can help keep you healthy

Conclusion – Incorporating Omega 3 Into Your Life Today & Long Term

Well, we have reached the pinnacle of our beginners guide on Omega 3 and I want to congratulate you for making it this far. In this final part, we will be looking at how to incorporate Omega 3 into your life starting today and for the long term

Looking at all of these benefits of Omega-3, we could understand why you would want to incorporate it into your life immediately and long term. Flaxseeds, walnuts, fish, olive oil, beans, and winter squash are great choices, by the way as they contain large sources of Omega-3 fats.

Flaxseeds and Walnuts

 

Flaxseeds and walnuts are at the top of our list for increasing Omega-3s. One-quarter cup of walnuts contains 2.7 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids, while One-quarter cup of flaxseeds contains

around 6.3 grams. By combining one-quarter cup of walnuts with a tablespoon of flaxseeds, you will get close to the recommended 4 grams of Omega-3 fats.

Beans

Don’t worry, walnuts and flaxseeds aren’t your only choice for Omega-3s. One cup of navy beans, soybeans, or kidney beans will give you between 200 and 1,000 milligrams of Omega-3s.

Winter Squash, Fish, and Olive Oil

There are three other types of foods that are important to mention as Omega-3 boosters. Those are fish, squash, and olive oil. With fish, you’ll get at least 1.3 grams from every 4 ounce serving of Chinook salmon and a little over 1.4 grams from sardines. Whereas, a cup of winter squash will give you around 0.2 grams of Extra virgin olive oil, on another note, per ounce of omega 3s will come up to about 0.1 grams.

With fish and olive oil, just make sure you stay away from frying because frying will only damage the Omega-3s.

Tips on Increasing Your Omega-3 Intake

If you’re trying to increase your Omega-3 fatty acids intake, there’s no need to bring the calculator into your kitchen. Simply focus on Omega-3 rich foods. Eating fish and seafood such as halibut, salmon, tuna, and scallops a couple times each week is a great way to increase your intake of Omega-3.

As previously noted, flaxseeds and walnuts can be a good contributor to an Omega-3 rich diet. To increase the intake of these foods, you can add a nut-seed combination to baked potatoes, salads, or granola.

In addition to all of this, adding more beans, extra virgin olive oil, and winter squash to your meal plan is simple – by looking online, you can find many Omega-3 rich recipes

Well, I hope you enjoyed our intro guide to the amazing fatty acid that is Omega 3. All the best with incorporating it into your life and reaping the rewards from it.

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