We hear so much about Omega 3 these days it's as if the knowledge has been around for centuries. However, it is only fairly recently that the health benefits of essential fatty acids found in fatty fish and in fish oil have been discovered.
It all started in the 1970's when two Danish researchers, Dr Hans Olaf Bang and Dr Jørn Dyerberg questioned why the Inuit Eskimos had a surprisingly low level of heart disease despite a diet high in fats.
They decided to make a trip to Greenland to study these northern peoples but little did they know back then the impact that their research would have on the world and how it would spark countless further studies that continue to this day.
Bang and Dyerberg collected and analyzed the blood samples of the Inuit Eskimos and discovered that they contained high quantities of polyunsaturated fats and these turned out to be the Omega 3 essential fatty acids we now call Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Many nutritional experts now maintain that it is a lack of these fatty acids in the diet that have been responsible for most of the health problems we are seeing in the Western world today, such as heart disease, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, skin problems and depression.
Why are we deficient in EPA and DHA?
It's quite simple, we are missing out on the benefits of EPA and DHA because we are eating less fish and it is only in fatty fish like Salmon, Tuna, Herring, Mackerel and Sardines that we can find significant quantities of these fatty acids.
Our bodies cannot produce EPA and DHA so the only way we can get enough of these Omega 3 fatty acids is from our diets. Fish do not produce them either, they actually get them by consuming micro algae, as in the case of smaller fish, or by eating other fish that have accumulated these fatty acids in their bodies. Consequently larger predatory fish will have higher concentrations of Omega 3. However, it is also the case that these fish will have higher concentrations of toxins and mercury from industrial pollutants dumped in the sea.
Nowadays we aren't keen to eat a lot of fish and limit our consumption to a couple of portions a week and some people are reluctant to eat any fish at all. This is having a devastating effect on our health. EPA and DHA are precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body and scientists know that some sort of inflammation is behind just about every health problem we have.
What about Omega 3 from plants?
Now you'll also hear it said that we can get Omega 3 from plant sources and this is true, we can. It's just unfortunate that it isn't the right kind that will make such a difference to our health. Alpha Linolenic acid or ALA as it is called is an Omega 3 fatty acid that can be found in vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables, walnuts, and hemp and flax seeds.
In theory if we consume ALA our bodies will synthesise this into the more beneficial EPA and DHA. In reality though, this doesn't happen as our ability to successfully convert fatty acids is limited and according to some research, is only about 5 percent or less.
What's the solution?
Fortunately there is one, and that is to take a daily supplement of Omega 3 fish oil that has been purified to remove any toxins but concentrated to contain high amounts of essential fatty acids, particularly EPA, as from this we are able to produce DHA as required.
