How to get Omega-3 As a Vegan: The Best Plant Sources of Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are most often referred to as essential fatty acids. They offer a whole variety of health benefits from regular cell processes and hormone production to helping to reduce inflammation and many more which we will talk about in greater detail. If you don’t get enough of these nutrients, it will eventually become a deficiency and you will end up becoming sick.

What Are Essential Fatty Acids?

Essential fatty acids are types of polyunsaturated fats. They are referred to as “essential” because our bodies can’t produce them on their own. We need to take them from foods we eat. Hence we must focus on how to get our daily intake of essential fatty acids from food so that we don’t have to worry about potential health problems that may arise down the line.

There are two types of Essential Fatty Acids:

· Omega 3

· Omega 6

Once consumed, the body is able to turn Omega 3 and Omega 6 into other types of fatty acids:

Omega 3

· Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

· Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

· Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Omega 6

· arachidonic acid (AA)

Why Do We Need Omega 3?

Regardless of the fact that you are vegan or non-vegan, you just can’t underestimate the importance of fatty acids in our regular diets. These facts below underscore why I need to be aware of the daily intake of Omega-3.

· They are part of all cell membranes and are what make our cells flexible. They are also very important for the nervous system. DHA is particularly abundant in the nervous system which is why it is touted as a “brain food.”

· Also high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA) are said to be a major component of the retina in your eye, so the fats are important for vision and if you don’t get them enough, you bet, you are going to have vision problems down the road.

· Essential fatty acids aid in the process of controlling inflammation. One thing to keep in mind though is Omega 3 reduces inflammation whereas Omega 6 increases inflammation. Inflammation is to blame for a whole host of health problems ranging from acne to arthritis and even in some cases heart disease and cancer if inflammation is persistent. So getting these nutrients in appropriate amounts is crucial to say the least.Research have shown a connection that the more omega-3 you take, the less reduced inflammation.

· Better Skin, Hair and Nails: Getting enough essential fatty acids can improve the appearance and strength of skin, hair and nails. One of the structural components of our skin is DHA which keeps the good health of cell membranes.

· Improved Mental Health: Various studies show that essential fatty acid (particularly Omega 3) are crucial for mental health and getting enough of them can reduce symptoms of depression, as well as other mood disorders like anxiety.

· Brain growth: Studies have shown that taking enough essential fatty acid (DHA in particular) during pregnancy results in many health benefits such as higher intelligence, better communication skills and so on for your child.

· Reduced Risk of Heart Disease: Not to mention that Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in the West, accounting for more than 50% of all deaths.

. Omega 3 fatty acids in particular have shown to reduce risk of heart disease since they are able to thin blood (reducing the risk of a clot), prevent inflammation (reducing blood pressure), and slow the buildup plaque in the arteries. By contrast, some studies have implied that Omega 6 can increase the risk of heart disease by causing inflammation in arteries. The American Heart Association contests this though, and instead says that people need to seek a better balance of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids.

· Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease: Omega 3 (DHA in particular) has proven to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease as well as other age-related cognitive diseases such as dementia.

· Arthritis and Inflammation Disorders: Omega 3 fatty acids have proven to be effective as a natural treatment for many inflammation disorders like arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and even (to some extent) asthma.

Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio

You might be sold on the idea that you could just eat lots of Omega 3 foods to ensure we are making enough DHA and EPA, since our bodies convert ALA into DHA and EPA.

Unfortunately, getting enough DHA and EPA isn’t as simple as eating more Omega 3.

Research suggests that Omega 6 inhibits the conversion of Omega 3 into DHA and EPA.

Research shows that getting Omega-3 isn’t just a concern for vegans and vegetarians. The Standard American Diet (appropriately called SAD) is low in Omega 3 while simultaneously very high in Omega-6. One report found that Americans are consuming 10–20x more Omega 6 than Omega-3. Most health experts recommend keeping Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratios at 1:4. High Omega-6 content could lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

So, how do vegans get omega-3?

Now to the interesting part….How to get enough omega-3 from plant sources? Read the full article here.