Oct 8, 2009

Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids


Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. They are essential to human health but cannot be produced by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food. They can be found in:

- Fish, such as salmon, tuna, halibut, sardines, mackerel, tuna, and herring
- Other marine life such as algae and krill
- Nut oils, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, purslane, perilla seed oil, walnuts, and walnut oil

Omega-3 fatty acids also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) plays a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent risk associated with heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

In fact, infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.

Many clinical studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may be helpful in treating a variety of health conditions such as, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, weight loss, osteoporosis, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit, eating disorders, burns, skin disorders, asthma, macular degeneration, menstrual pain, colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and many others.

Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include extreme tiredness (fatigue), poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation.

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