No healthy diet is complete without omega-3s. These healthy fats play many important roles in the body, from supporting your heart to aiding in memory and learning. The best source of omega-3s is fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines, but most people don’t eat enough fish to get the omega-3s they need.
In fact, 70 percent of the world’s population doesn’t eat enough fish (and in some parts of the world, that number is closer to 90 percent). Not everyone has access to fresh fish, and many simply don’t like the taste.
Fortunately, there are ways to get around this fishy problem. But first, let’s dig a little deeper and make sure we understand why omega-3s are so important.
Omega-3s: What are they?
Put simply, omega-3s are the building blocks of fat in the body that support a number of important roles in your body, including your heart, eyes, and brain. Don’t be scared off by the “fat” part—some fats are actually good for you, omega-3s in particular.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential, meaning your body can’t produce them on its own. The only way to get the omega-3s we need is through the food you eat.
There are many types of omega-3s, but these are the three main ones you should be aware of:
ALA: This is the type of omega-3 you can get from plant-based foods like walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds. It’s the easiest kind of omega-3 to get in our diets, but not as beneficial as EPA and DHA.
EPA: Mostly found in fatty fish, EPA supports healthy blood circulation and helps maintain a healthy inflammation status in the body.
DHA: This is arguably the most important one, as it supports your eyes, brain, and heart.
While all three types are important, our bodies benefit most from EPA and DHA. If you’re on a mostly plant-based diet, you will need to get the rest of your omega-3s from a fish oil supplement (more on that below).
The omega-3 to omega-6 ratio
You’ve probably seen omega-6s pop up alongside omega-3s from time to time. They’re often lumped together, but they’re not the same thing. Unlike omega-3s, most people have no problem getting omega-6s in their diet. (Unsurprising, considering they come from foods like vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds, which often find their way into our diets without us realizing it.)
While omega-6s are important, getting too much can counteract the benefits of omega-3s. The average American has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 15:1, when it should be 1:1. Adding more omega-3s to our diets is the best way to get this balance back to where it should be.
Strike the right balance through diet
Now that we know why we need omega-3s, let’s tackle how to make sure we’re getting enough of them.
As mentioned before, we should get as many omega-3s as we can from our diets. Keep these foods in regular rotation on your shopping list:
Anchovies
Herring
Mackerel
Salmon
Sardines
Tuna
Walnuts
Flaxseed and flaxseed oil
Canola and soybean oil
Chia seeds
While you can get ALA fatty acids from plant-based foods, you’ll still need the EPA and DHA omega-3s found in fish. Aim for two servings of fatty fish a week and you’ll be off to a great start.
Fill in the gaps with supplementation
Getting enough omega-3s through diet alone can be tricky, for a variety of reasons. Maybe you can’t stand the taste of fish, or are on a vegetarian diet. Fresh fish can be hard to come by in some places, not to mention it’s often more expensive than other meats.
Taking an omega-3 supplement is one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting those essential fatty acids, especially if you need to balance out your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio (which includes most of us).
Even if you eat fish a few times a week, it can be difficult to strike the right balance through diet alone. Most of us would benefit from taking a fish oil supplement to help us achieve a healthier balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.
Enter OmegaLife-3 Resolv
Unicity’s OmegaLife-3 Resolv is a high-quality, concentrated, purified fish-oil supplement that supports cardiovascular health, cognitive performance, and cell structure stability. It boasts a powerful combination of 1,000 mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA, making it a great combination to promote overall health and wellness. In addition, it promotes the formation of resolvins, compounds derived from omega-3 fatty acids known for their ability to promote normal cellular function and helps maintain a healthy inflammatory response in the body.
Learn more and try it today.
Omega-3s do a lot for us—more than you might think. With benefits that support the heart, brain, and eyes, omega-3s are simply too important to overlook. Make sure you’re getting the best support you can from omega-3s, whether it be through diet, supplementation, or a combination of both.