What Omega 3 Can Do for Your Heart Health

One of the top 5 New Year's resolutions on everyone's list is to get healthier! Choosing to eat better and get more exercise will help. An easy way to keep to your resolution would be to add a high quality omega-3 fatty acid supplement to your daily regimen. An omega-3 fatty acid deficiency is creating an imbalance that undermines the health of millions and may be the root cause of your maladies as well.

Too Much Omega-6 and Not Enough Omega-3?

While most North Americans eat way too much of the omega-6 oils found in meats and most vegetable oils, they suffer a relative deficiency of the omega-3 oils. Particularly important to good health are the longer chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanioic acid (DHA) found in fish, especially cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and halibut. Although the body can convert alpha-linolenic acid, a short chain omega-3 fatty acid from flaxseed oil, it is much more efficient to get them from fish oils. Furthermore, there is evidence that many people have a difficult time converting alpha-linolenic acid to EPA and DHA.

Why Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids Are Important

A diet that is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, results in altered cell membranes. Without a healthy membrane, cells lose their ability to hold water, vital nutrients, and electrolytes. They also lose their ability to communicate with other cells and be controlled by regulating hormones. Cell membrane dysfunction is a critical factor in the development of many chronic diseases Not surprisingly, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids have shown tremendous effects in defending against all of these diseases.