Omega-3 fatty acids are a kind of polyunsaturated fat produced in the leaves of plants. They’re often associated with oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines (which get them from the plankton and algae they consume in the wild); other foods naturally rich in omega-3s include flaxseed and meat, eggs, and dairy from grass-fed animals (again, from the plants they consume). Omega-3s are known as essential fatty acids---essential because they can’t be produced by the human body, so they must be obtained through the diet.
Because of the reported health benefits of omega-3s, however, many food producers have begun supplementing foods with omega-3 fatty acids, foods like traditionally farmed fish, poultry, and mammals (which are fed corn, soy, and grain-based diets as opposed to their wild-raised, grass-fed counterparts). Milk, eggs, and baby formula tout omega-3s on their labels; even processed foods are being supplemented with omega-3s.
What Omega-3s Do
Why the sudden craze? Officially recognized as essential nutrients in the 1980s, omega-3s have only more recently come to prominence with the decline of the stigma against dietary fat. Nutrition science has proved that consumption of fat, namely the unsaturated varieties, has many health benefits. In addition, recently published books like Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Susan Allport’s The Queen of Fats have pushed omega-3s into the national consciousness.
Here’s a summary of what’s known about omega-3s: the three of these fatty acids that have been found to be nutritionally essential to humans are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). They have been linked to, among other things, reduced cardiovascular disease, improved immune function, improved neurological function, improved visual function, and reduced pain from rheumatoid arthritis, and are known to aid in blood circulation, the metabolism of glucose, and the calming of inflammation in the body.
Omega-3s versus Omega-6s
Another type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that plays a role in the body, one that is often confused with omega-3s, is the omega-6 fatty acid. Omega-6s are produced in the seeds of plants, are found in seed oils like corn, sunflower, and soybean, and perform several functions opposite to those of omega-3s. According to Pollan in In Defense of Food, “omega-6s are involved in fat storage (which is what they do for the plant), the rigidity of cell walls, clotting, and the inflammation response.” Pollan goes on to say that because omega-3s and omega-6s “compete” for space in our cells, the ratio between the two may be of utmost importance to our health.
Nutrition scientists widely claim that those consuming a Western diet see omega-6/omega-3 ratios of at least 10 to 1, whereas the recommended ratio is at most 4 to 1. This is a likely consequence of the amount of processed food in the Western diet and is a possible explanation for the increase in accompanying diseases like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. And while not everyone is on board with this explanation, most would agree that eating more omega-3s can’t hurt.
How, then, can people get more omega-3s in their diets? Fish oil supplements containing EPA and DHA are both widely available and convenient; most come in 1,000--1,200-mg doses and can be taken once or twice daily. Alternately, increasing consumption of wild-caught cold-water fish like salmon, herring, or mackerel to two times per week will supply plenty of omega-3s, as will supplementing with flaxseed oil.
Source: Pollan, Michael. In Defense of Food: an Eater’s Manifesto. New York: Penguin Books, 2009.
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