One of the best supplements to take along with a healthy diet is Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3s are essential fatty acids. This means that Omega 3 oils cannot be made by the human body and have to be ingested. There are three main types of Omega 3 fatty acids in human physiology. They are Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), Eicosa Pentaenoic Acid (EPA), and Docosa Hexaenoic Acid (DHA). ALA is obtained from plant sources EPA and DHA are obtained from marine sources.1
Interestingly, Omega 3s are polyunsaturated fats. This differs from saturated fats in the long carbon-hydrogen chain in the chemical structure of the molecule. There are double bonds that form kinks in the chain allowing unsaturated fats to remain liquid at room temperature and with no double bonds in saturated fats they stay solid at room temperature.
Between the three Omega 3s, ALA is the shortest in length, EPA is the middle, and the most crucial, DHA is the longest. The benefits of Omega 3s are abundant. From lowering blood pressure to inflammation to brain and eye health to cognitive benefits to mental health and depression, the benefits of Omega 3s cannot be stressed enough. Numerous health benefits were claimed from years past, but evidence for health claims for a few of them has not been found. Despite the lack of evidence for some health claims, the pros outweigh the cons.
In fact, DHA accounts for 40% of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in your brain and 60% in the retina of your eye.2 Mothers taking the supplements during pregnancy and infants given Omega 3 benefit greatly from it. Infants brain development and eye health improve to lead to higher intelligence, better social interactions and decreased risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or autism.
Actually the sources of Omega 3s have to be sought. Leafy vegetables, nuts such as walnuts, and flax seeds are good sources of ALA, the shortest Omega 3. Anchovies, mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, tuna, krill and other marine organisms are good sources of EPA and DHA. One of the vegan marine sources of DHA is algae, so vegetarians can also get DHA Omega 3s as well as people who do not like fish. Some experts suggest taking 250mg to 500mg of DHA while others suggest 1000mg.3, 4
In conclusion, Omega 3s are essential fatty acids that cannot be made by the body and need to be ingested. The benefits are numerous. The long chain Omega 3 such as DHA is even more important. In all ages the importance of Omega 3 cannot be understated.