In short, Omega-3 is fatty acid is an important fat you must get from your diet. Omega-3s are a family of essential fatty acids that your body cannot product and it plays important roles in your body.
Omega-3s are nutrients you get from food (or supplements) that help build and maintain a healthy body. They’re key to the structure of every cell wall you have. They’re also an energy source and help keep your heart, lungs, blood vessels, and immune system working the way they should.
There are 2 main types of Omega-3 – DHA and EPA
DHA
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the most important omega-3 fatty acid. It’s a key structural component of your brain, retina of your eyes and nerve tissues. DHA may also reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease by decreasing the thickness of the blood, reducing swelling (inflammation), and lowering blood levels of triglycerides. It is also used for boosting memory and thinking skills, for helping infant and child development, and for certain eye disorders.
EPA
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is mainly found in cold water fish such as salmon. Getting more EPA in your diet has positive effects on coronary heart disease, high triglycerides (fats in the blood), high blood pressure, and inflammation. Your body uses eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to produce signalling molecules called eicosanoids, which play numerous physiological roles and reduce inflammation
Fatty fish contain omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that may reduce inflammation to the body. Inflammation in the body can damage the blood vessels and lead to heart disease and strokes.
For years government has encourage people to eat fatty fish rich in unsaturated fats, these unsaturated fats also known as omega-3 fatty acids has years long recognition to be good for heart, eyes, brain, weight management and also boost fetal development.
Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the world, the life expectancy is 84.91 in 2022, a 0.14% increase from 2021. Primarily due to remarkably low mortality rates from ischemic heart disease and cancer (particularly breast and prostate). The low mortality rates from ischemic heart disease and cancer are thought to reflect the low prevalence of obesity in Japan; low intake of red meat, specifically saturated fatty acids; and high intakes of fish, specifically n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, plant foods such as soybeans, and non-sugar-sweetened beverages such as green tea.
Many types of seafood contain omega-3 but fatty fish contain the most omega-3 fatty acids such as
- Salmon
- Sardine
- Altantic mackerel
- Cod
- Herring
- Lake trout
- Tuna
Most adults should eat at least 8 ounces or two servings of omega-3-rich fish a week to get sufficient omega-3 fatty acids. There are some people who are concern about the toxin, mercury or other contaminants in seafood. It is particularly harmful to the development of brain and nervous system of an unborn child and young children.
Many industrial, agro-zootechnical and urban activities dispose harmful substances into coastal waters, both directly and indirectly. This leads to a continuous increase of dangerous waste in the waters and populate the fish. The substances that most accumulate in fish are:
Mercury.
An excess of methylmercury may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular and neurological diseases in adults. Furthermore, being able to cross the placenta, high mercury levels expose the fetus may risk the alterations in the development of the nervous system.
Cadmium.
Chronic exposure to cadmium can lead to kidney and cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, osteoporosis and impaired reproductive capacity in women. This metal is able to pass from mother to infant during breastfeeding.
Lead.
Excessive lead ingestion can cause poisoning (saturnism) characterized by disorders such as abdominal colic, joint pain, anemia and nervous disorders. An abundance of this metal can transform the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), altering the reproductive capacity of a woman.
Arsenic.
Repeated exposure over time can cause a mutation in the color of the skin, hyperkeratosis, skin lesions and skin tumors. It also increases the risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lung and bladder cancer. This substance can alter the fetal development during pregnancy.
Endocrine disruptors.
They are substances that mimic the action of natural hormones, altering the body’s endocrine balance. In fact, hormones control all the body’s processes including growth, metabolism, reproductive capacity, functionality of the nervous system and regulation of the cardio-circulatory system.
People usually take fish oil supplement as their diet could not provide them sufficient goodness of Omega-3. Most on the shelf fish oil do not elaborate the source of their fish and may contain different level of toxin. Consuming at a high dosage or long term may cause the above risks. Fish oil is good for expecting mothers but choosing the right fish oil is crucial for these mothers.
It is important to understand the fish oil you consume that would not have any toxin while giving you all the goodness of Omega-3 Fatty Acid.