Omega 3 - Discover the Benefits of this Fatty Acid

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Much has been said about a fatty acid of great importance for our body, Omega 3. Controversial research by defenders of its use and others that say that it is not as efficient as thought. Let's try to clarify this discussion.

It all started with a Danish doctor, who observed that in Greenland, the largest island in the world, only 5.3% of people died of heart disease, while in the United States this percentage was 40%.

Based on this statistic, the doctor began a 12-year study, observing the lifestyle and diet of the island's native people. Then it was observed that the diet of the Eskimos was rich in fish and cold water seals.

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After these laboratory and clinical observations, the doctor reported that the Eskimos ingested about 14g of omega 3 daily. He also contacted that there was not, or was rare, cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, among others.

Omega 3 (Google Image)

Scientific disagreements about the efficiency of Omega 3

There are several articles on omega 3 published on Pubmed, a scientific research medical platform. In Google Scholar there are also more than 180,000 scientific citations, defending fish oil for therapeutic purposes.

However, a recent study, done by the University of Oxford in England and published in a highly credible medical journal, has caused a stir in the media.

The study was conducted in 15,480 diabetic subjects without cardiovascular disease and over 40 years of age, for 7.4 years. The first group was given the amount of 1g of olive oil, theoretically used as a placebo, despite its known antioxidant actions.

The second group received a dose of 1 gram of Omega 3. This dose is not effective in the ailments related to the lack of oil. But a small difference was noted only in the benefits obtained by people treated with omega 3. It was found that vascular deaths were much lower in people treated with omega 3 than those who used olive oil.

How to get Omega 3?

An important issue is that fish oil oxidizes very easily. There are also a large number of counterfeit omega 3s on the market. This oil is difficult to obtain and store. Authentic omega 3 cannot be frozen, as it is precisely what protects fish from cold water so that they do not freeze.

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People believe that they can remove omega 3 from fish, but the truth is that this oil is only obtained from fish that live in nature in cold waters and feed on plankton. Therefore, farm-raised fish have little or no omega 3.

Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory properties, while omega 6 is inflammatory. Today our food is in a ratio of 1 dose of omega-3 to 30 of omega-6, which causes an inflammatory reaction in the body. Our current diet is rich in omega 6 and very lacking in omega 3, since it is very difficult to find it in the daily diet.

One solution, then, would be to supplement with omega-3, so that we can benefit from its therapeutic qualities.

Let's look at the types of Omega 3

Lipids, mainly fatty acids, are very important for our body, and are present in the membrane of all cells. An important issue is that despite the importance of this fatty acid, our body is not able to produce it, and we need to consume it from an external source.

The omega-3 family has 3 types. The first type is the EPA. It will have an anti-inflammatory action. Important for heart and circulatory health, reducing risk of thrombosis, arthritis, lupus and stroke.

The second fatty acid in the omega-3 family is DHA. This one is mainly important for the brain, cognition, fetal formation. He also plays an important part in the formation of the retina.

The third component of this family is ALA, which is obtained from plant sources such as Chia, linseed, etc., which, after being ingested, are converted into EPA and DHA, but in small amounts.

What are the benefits of Omega 3

Omega 3 is a powerful anti-inflammatory, but we can observe several other benefits of its supplementation for our organism.

There are several studies that point out that DHA brings a great improvement in cognitive functions, including the treatment and reversal of Azheimer's. Also, its use protects our arteries and our heart, and contributes to the improvement of cognitive functions. Other important issues to mention are:

The dosage to obtain the best benefits of omega-3 would be 1.6g daily, with 2 parts of EPA for 2 parts of DHA and can be ingested before meals.

This was our article for you to understand a little about this fatty acid that is really important for our health and that has been much discussed internationally. I hope you enjoyed it and if you want more health tips, look for our category Tips. Hug to everyone.