Have you ever wondered if it made any difference if you took an Omega 3 supplement or just ate fish everyday? The answer is yes, depending on where the Omega 3’s come from because not all are equally available to the body. If you look at the label of your Omega 3 supplement, you may see the letters DHA and EPA which are the essential fatty acids found in fish and fish oil supplements. Both DHA and EPA are readily available to the body and play a major role in cell membrane function as well as your immune system plus they help to lower your risk of heart disease.

Another Omega 3 fat is Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which comes from plant sources and occurs naturally in foods like walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, soy and wheat germ. The body cannot produce ALA which is why it is considered an essential fatty acid. The body converts ALA to EPA and then to DHA, however, this conversion is not really that effecient. Still, some is better than none and The Nurse’s Health Study found that ALA may have some health benefits on its own. They found that women who took ALA had fewer sudden cardiac attacks than those who did not take it at all.

The latest nutrition trend is to add Omega 3’s to food including EPA and DHA which you may have seen lately on egg cartons in the grocery store. Each egg provides 100-150 mg. of Omega 3’s per egg. Other foods to come will be pasta, peanut butter and fortified cereals.

So with all this confusion about Omega 3’s, how much should you take? If you have heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends a good quality Omega 3 (Fish Oil) Supplement of 1,000 mg. daily that have EPA and DHA written on the label. Even if you do not have heart disease, I take 1,000 mg. daily to prevent heart disease and reduce inflammation throughout my body.

If you like fish, eat fatty fish like wild salmon, light tuna and sardines at least twice a week. In addition, enjoy foods rich in ALA like flaxseed (make sure they are ground first before ingesting), soy, walnuts and canola oil. The fortified foods will help but they do not contain enough to make up for a diet low in Omega 3’s.

Think of the Tin Man, in The Wizard of Oz movie, when Dorothy squirted oil into the Tin Man’s joints and he was able to move around again. That is what fish oil does in your body - Omega 3’s help your joints stay lubricated and hence, pain-free. It is a simple, rather inexpensive way to help your heart, keep your joints lubricated and reduce inflammation throughout your entire body.

Sherry L. Granader, ACE, AFAA, NETA, ACSM, BBU, is a Nutrition Consultant, National Speaker and Spokesperson, Author and Writer. She teaches Yoga, Pilates and Group Exercise classes. Download her FREE “Eat Right, Feel Good, Lose Weight, Have Fun” book at http:// www.sgtotalhealth.com

[tags]Omega 3’s, fish oil, EPA, DHA, ALA, heart disease, fortified foods, pain-free, joints, inflammation[/tags]