subject: Finding The Best Source for Omega 3 Fatty Acids [print this page] Finding The Best Source for Omega 3 Fatty Acids
By now most of us who are part of the large demographic known as the "Baby Boomers" know that consuming a diet high in omega 3 fatty acids is an important part of maintaining and improving cardiovascular health and reducing overall inflammation. That said, the only real question left to answer is what is the safest and most effective way to supplement our diets with these essential oils.
Some believe they can achieve these goals by consuming walnuts, flax seed oil, or other woodsy types of foods that are high in the omega 3 known as alpha-linoleic acid. The problem here is that alpha-linoleic acid can't be processed by the body until it converted into other types of omega 3's, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Initially consuming plenty of walnuts and flax may seem like a good plan until it is learned that the conversion rate between ALA and DHA/EPA is a meager 15 percent. The bottom line here is that while ALA might help some you would have to eat a tremendous amount of nuts, seeds, grains, and flax to satisfy the standard dosage suggested by the American Heart Association (700-950 mg daily). Besides that the prices of nuts high in ALA (walnuts, pecans) has risen substantially in recent years making them only marginally affordable for most.
So for all practical purposed ALA is just an important side note when it comes to our quest to marry together omega3 fatty acids and health.
What are we left with?
Not much! Surprisingly, there are a limited number of foods high in the omega 3 fatty acids with cold water fatty fish being by far the best source. On our omega 3 fatty acid honor role we have such family favorites as bluefin tuna, albacore tuna, lake trout, cod, salmon, mackerel, sardines, hoki, anchovies, and herring. Of this list the three which have the highest omega 3 content are bluefin tuna, hoki, and salmon.
But there is a problem
The problem is that our oceans, lakes, waterways, and fish farm ponds are polluted with dangerous toxins which have made their way into our meal ticket to better health through the food chain. These dangerous toxins include mercury, dioxins, chemical solvents, plastic residue, pesticides, and of course those pesky organochlorine contaminants.
Is there another option?
The other option is molecularly distilled fish oil which has been carefully processed to remove virtually all of the dangerous toxins while providing us with enough DHA/EPA to improve cardiovascular health and reduce inflammation inside our bodies.
But once again there can be concerns due to manufacturers sacrificing quality to achieve the lowest price point. Generally, these products sell for under $10 and use the cheapest fish available , which often are anchovies and sardines. They also may not have gone through the molecular purification process. So the lesson here is that if you are inclined to use any of these products be sure and read the labels carefully.
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