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What Really Are Omega-3s? Here’s the Deal with this Healthy Fat

Since the low-fat diet days finally subsided a few years ago, healthy fats have been getting more attention and appreciation.  It’s no longer a secret that omega-3s are good for you.   

We see it marketed on chia seed bags, talked about by top doctors.  But what is it, really? 

Let’s define Omega-3s 

In case you need a little background info: omega-3 fatty acids describe a category of polyunsaturated fat, which includes eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), among others. 

While plant-derived ALA is considered a daily nutritional requirement, marine-sourced EPA and DHA are considered "conditionally essential" because your body can technically synthesize them from ALA.  But here’s the catch, the conversion rate of ALA to EPA and DHA is low, so you need to supplement with vitamins or foods. 

  • DHA. This fatty acid is found in many different kinds of fish and even plant-based sources like algae (algal oil) and is famous for its brain and eye benefits. 
  • EPA. This is considered the other main type of omega-3 and is mainly found in fatty fish. 
  • ALA. This omega-3 is unique in that it is only found in plant-based sources like certain seeds and nuts (hello, walnuts).  This fat is the primary omega-3 in vegan and fish-free diets. 

Omega-3s are different than omega-6s structurally.  While both omega-3s and omega-6s are both important to your overall health, the average American eats too many omega-6s in the form of sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed oils in processed foods.  Better sources of omega-6s are found in olive oil and butter.  The ideal ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s are 1:1 [1]. 

 

Benefits 

  1. Heart health. Omega-3 fats help the heart by supporting healthy levels of triglycerides and is linked with having a healthy blood pressure and circulation [2,3].
  2. Brain health.  DHA is critical in the development of the central nervous system, which encompasses our brain and also extensive neural networks.  In one study, a mother’s DHA levels during pregnancy had the strongest association with her infant's problem-solving skills at 12 months, even more so than her education level [4]. According to a recent Cureus review, omega-3s learning, cerebral blood flow, and even mood support [5]. 
  3.  Eye health. EPA and DHA ensure that certain cells in the retina - a part of your eye, function properly. It can also help the eyes combat oxidative stress [6, 7]. 
  4. Better mood. Who would have thought omega-3s play a role in supporting mood balance and resilience? [8]. What’s more is that an Inadequate intake of omega-3s during the postpartum period has been associated with worse mood, according to the American Pregnancy Association. 
  5. Immune health. Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties, and in addition to these actions, they help signal other immunomodulatory proteins to activate and respond to pathogens [9]. 

 

Why ratios matter 

Believe it or not, the amount of omega-3s you consume is important  

Since EPA is more effective than DHA at balancing out the ratio of inflammatory to anti-inflammatory chemicals, you need more EPA than DHA.  Most supplements have it in a 1:1 ratio, but at Princeton Integrative health, we use Integrative Therapeutics, which has a 3:1 ratio (for a total of 2,300 mg of omega-3s). Research shows that taking 1000 mg and up of EPA and DHA offer proportionally greater heart health benefits [10].   

 

How do I include Omega-3s? 

The foundational baseline by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to eat 8 ounces (or two servings) of fish per week in order to average an intake of EPA and DHA equivalent to about 500 milligrams combined per day.  We’ve already established that to get even more benefits, that amount is increased.  So how to get more omega-3s? 

This is a list of our favorite sources: 

  1. Fish and other seafood.  Enjoy that fatty fish like anchovies, salmon, wild mackerel, herring, rainbow trout, and sardines.  In just one can of sardines, you can get 2.7 grams of omega-3s.  If you’re not a fan of fish, you can try improving the flavor with some sauces.
  2. Seaweed.  Algae and seaweed are the only plant-based sources of DHA out there! 
  3. Nuts and seeds. When it comes to ALAs, walnuts are top, with 1-ounce containing 2.5 grams.  Ground flaxseed provides 1.6 grams of ALA per serving, chia seeds contain an incredible 7 grams per tablespoon, and hemp seeds offer 0.9 grams. 
  4. Supplements. If your diet is not cutting it, taking a high-quality supplement could meet your daily needs.  What do we mean by high-quality?  Heavy metals from the ocean can contaminate fish, so it’s important to choose a product that prioritizes purity testing. The amount of supplementation, of course, depends on your own individual factors and health priorities. 

 

Considerations 

As with any supplement, it is ppossible to have too much of a healhy thing.  The main concern is that an extremely high omega-3 intake may contribute to blood thinning and reduce blood clotting. This side effect would be relevant to people taking blood-thinning medications or undergoing procedures. 

Again, always check in with your health practitioner before using.  

 

Takeaways 

  • Omega-3s are powerhouse players for so many aspects of health like heart, brain, eye, immune health, and mood. 
  • Most peopplpe do not meet their minimum needs of omega-3s through diet, so adding a high-quality omega-3 supplement with solid standards may be worth talking about with your health practitioner. 

 

References 

[1] Simopoulos A. P. (2002). The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 56(8), 365–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0753-3322(02)00253-6 

[2] Bhatt et al. (2019). Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia. N Engl J Med, 380(11). https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1812792  

[3] Chadda, A. and Eagle, K. (2015). Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Heart Health. Circulation, 132. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.015176  

[4] Braarud, H. C., Markhus, M. W., Skotheim, S., Stormark, K. M., Frøyland, L., Graff, I. E., & Kjellevold, M. (2018). Maternal DHA Status during Pregnancy Has a Positive Impact on Infant Problem Solving: A Norwegian Prospective Observation Study. Nutrients, 10(5), 529. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10050529  

[5] Dighriri I M, Alsubaie A M, Hakami F M, et al. (October 09, 2022) Effects of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Brain Functions: A Systematic Review. Cureus 14(10): e30091. doi:10.7759/cureus.30091 

[6] Shindou, H., Koso, H., Sasaki, J., Nakanishi, H., Sagara, H., Nakagawa, K. M., Takahashi, Y., Hishikawa, D., Iizuka-Hishikawa, Y., Tokumasu, F., Noguchi, H., Watanabe, S., Sasaki, T., & Shimizu, T. (2017). Docosahexaenoic acid preserves visual function by maintaining correct disc morphology in retinal photoreceptor cells. The Journal of biological chemistry, 292(29), 12054–12064. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M117.790568  

[7] Wang, H. and Daggy, B. (2017). The Role of Fish Oil in Inflammatory Eye Diseases. Biomed Hub (2017) 2 (1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1159/000455818  

[8] Ginty, A. and Conklin, S. (2015). Short-term supplementation of acute long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may alter depression status and decrease symptomology among young adults with depression: A preliminary randomized and placebo controlled trial. Psychiatry Research, 229(1): 485-489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.072 

[9] Gutiérrez, S., Svahn, S. L., & Johansson, M. E. (2019). Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Immune Cells. International journal of molecular sciences, 20(20), 5028. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20205028 

[10] Jain, A. P., Aggarwal, K. K., & Zhang, P. Y. (2015). Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 19(3), 441–445. 

 

Questions? Call PIH at 609.512.1468 for more information.