Thursday, March 27, 2014

Is Sea-Food the Only Source of Omega 3's?

Omega 3 fatty acids have come to the for front as an important nutrient in modern diets and for very good reasons.  Research now shows that omega-3s lower the risk of heart disease and may also help depression, diabetes, joint conditions and other chronic conditions, boost brain health and can reduce inflamation so it's little wonder that omega-3s remain a hot nutrition trend.

Web MD states; "Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of three fats: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
Once eaten, the body turns ALA into DHA and EPA, though not very efficiently -- some estimates say the conversion is as low as 5%. Thus, many dietitians recommend we focus most of our efforts on consuming DHA and EPA fatty acids.
While there's no standard recommendation yet for how many omega-3s we need, suggestions range between 500 to 1,000 mg daily. You can find over 500 mg in a tin of tuna or a few ounces of salmon."

This is not new information we all know that Sea-Food is an important source of this important nutrient, however with the seas becoming tainted, certain fish being over-harvested, cost and farmed fish a less than desirable option we've started looking to other options for putting Omega-3's in our diet.  


Here's some ideas:


  1. Dairy foods - Particularly if they are Grass-Fed
  • Eggs, especially if their feed is fortified with flax seed
  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Yogurt
     2.  Nuts, Seeds and Grains
  • Flax
  • Walnuts
  • Pumpkin
  • Chia
  • Butternuts
  • Sprouted Radish Seeds
  • Oats
      3.  Leafy Greens

  •  Kale
  •  Mint
  •  Parsley
  •  Spinach
  •  Watercress
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Grape Leaves
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
      4. Oils
  • Rapeseed
  • Cod Liver
  • Krill 
  • Walnut
  • Flax Seed
  • Hemp
     5.  Herbs & Spices
  • Basil (make pesto)
  • Oregano
  • Cloves
     6.  Grass-Fed Meats
  • While meat is generally higher in omega 6 fatty acids than omega 3s, there has been some suggestion that grass fed cattle meat has a higher ratio of omega 3s, making it a healthier option in terms of fat content.  It may also be the case that products produced from grass fed cows, such as milk and cheese may have higher omega 3s.

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