

Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA): This plant-based omega-3 is found in green, leafy vegetables flaxseeds and chia seeds and canola, walnut and soybean oils (although those rancid oils are not ones I generally recommend).

The four most common omega-3s found in food are ALA, EPA, ETA and DHA. In other words, your body can’t make these fats on its own, so you need to get them from your diet or from omega-3 supplements (such as omega-3 fish oil or capsules). Why do I need omega-3? Your body is able to synthesize saturated fatty acids, but you don’t have an enzyme that allows you to stick a double bond in the right spot to create omega-3s yourself. The “3” refers to where in the chemical structure the first double bond occurs. That means they contain more than one double bond in their chemical structure. Omega-3s are a specific type of polyunsaturated fatty acid.
#Omega 3 benefits how to
Let’s look below at why you need them and how to effectively get more. The most commonly known health perk of omega-3s is a reduced risk of heart disease, but they also assist in fetal development, vision, skin health, weight management and a lot more.

Your body doesn’t produce omega-3s on its own, which means they are “ essential fatty acids” - you have to consume them regularly from food and supplement sources. We’ll unpack these questions one by one, but let’s start by saying that omega-3 fatty acids are crucial nutrients for overall health. Omega-3s (or omega-3 fatty acids) have earned a great deal of respect in the health community, but do you know what omega-3s are? What are the benefits of omega-3s, and could you be deficient in these fatty acids?
