What Are The Well-Proven Benefits Of Omega-3 Supplements?

Omega 3 is in the limelight nowadays. Ever wondered what is this hype all about? Does it really have those numerous health benefits that it claims? Where is it found and what does it do? Let’s clear all your doubts. In this article, we will be discussing everything about omega 3. So, let’s get started!

What is omega 3?

You might already know that humans need three macronutrients for their proper growth and development. Those are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Here, we are going to consider fats. Fats are again divided into saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats can be further classified into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Omega-3s are a kind of polyunsaturated fats, which means their chemical structure has several double bonds in the carbon chain. It is found in fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and green-lipped mussels.

There are three basic types of omega 3s and they are alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Our body cannot produce any of these naturally, so these are called essential fatty acids. However, if our body has access to ALA, it can manage to produce EPA and DHA. These are very crucial for the normal functioning of our body and are an integral part of our health. DHA is known as omega 3 for the brain as it plays an integral role in brain development.

Apart from these, the New Zealand native, Green-lipped mussels have an exceptionally high concentration of some other unique omega 3 fatty acids. A distinctive attribute about green-lipped mussels oil is that it has a special type of omega 3 – eicosatetraenoic acid. Not just that, it has 32 other omega fatty acids in it, with 18 being omega 3s. Isn’t it wonderful?

What are the natural sources of omega 3 fatty acids?

Omega 3 fats are primarily found in marine algae and phytoplankton and accumulate in the fish as it feeds on these. ALA is found in algae, leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, seeds, nuts like walnuts, and some grass-fed animal meat. Fatty fishes like Salmon, Mackerel, Sardine, Trout, and Shrimps are rich in EPA and DHA. If you need to have a combo of 18 omega-3 fats, including ETAs, consider green-lipped mussel oil capsules or supplements.

Why is it beneficial for us?

1. Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial for us even before we are born. In the womb, an adequate amount of omega 3 fats are needed for the proper growth and development of the fetus’s brain and retina.

Infants fed with high omega foods have better mental development, higher intelligence, good communication skills, achieve milestones appropriately, and have fewer behavioral problems. Omega 3 for the brain, especially DHA, is very crucial in the early development stages. Thus maternal diet should include plenty of omega 3 rich foods in it.

1. Omega 3 fats enhance heart health by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, blood pressure, triglycerides, and inflammation; It also increases good cholesterol (HDL) levels, suppresses plaque formation, and blood clotting.
2. It can fight metabolic syndrome. Wondering what is it? Let me tell you. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of several physiological conditions like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abdominal obesity.
3. The root cause of diabetes is insulin resistance and Omega 3 increases insulin sensitivity in our body, thus reducing diabetes risk.
4. It's also an excellent immune support supplement that helps to produce the right amount of immune response known as the ‘Goldilocks' response which isn’t too little or too much, just the right! If the immune response is too little, our system might fail to fight the infection.

If it’s too much, it might cause severe damage to vital body parts by creating strong immune responses like cytokine storms. Omega-3s also help to heal from the previous infection and its subsequent immune response. It helps to fight autoimmune diseases as well.

6. It is very important for neurological health as it is indirectly involved in the production of neurotransmitters, the chemical substances that help to transmit the message from one neuron to the other.

How to consume omega 3?

Saw the above-mentioned natural dietary sources of omega 3s? You can include them liberally in your diet. If you find it difficult to get everything on your plate every day, you can go for a good quality omega 3 supplement or a fish oil supplement.

You can also get yourself a green-lipped mussels oil supplement to bombard your body with tons of these essential fatty acids. Green-lipped mussels oil, as said above, has around 32 omega fats, including, omega 3, 6, 7, and 9.

Are all your doubts cleared now? Aren’t omega 3 fats fascinating? They are so beneficial for our health and wellbeing. Try to include an adequate amount of omega 3 rich foods in your diet or else seriously consider buying an omega 3 supplement for yourself. It can be the ringmaster of your health. How do you get your omega 3 fats? Comment below!

Source: https://frezzor.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-omega-3-supplements