Nutrition

Spruce Up Your Fats With Omega 3

July 1, 2009
By J White

Despite much of the bad press surrounding fat as the cause of many health problems, not all fat is unhealthy for you. This is especially true for omega 3 fatty acids. For one thing, this little gem enables your cells to develop properly and is a key building block for your eyes and brain.

And despite the large amount of fats found in our diets, we still do not get enough fats from omega 3. The reason for this is that the fat source in many foods we eat are full of omega 6. Even though this type of fat is essential, you just don’t need the excessive levels that are typically found in the average diet.

To counter this excessive amount of omega 6 fats in your diet, you need to start eating more foods sources that possess omega 3. By balancing these two fats better in your diet, you can lower your risks to certain diseases. In fact the addition of omega 3 to your diet may help to fight inflammation, stroke, and other diseases. And since it is a vital source of energy for your brain, it may also help to alleviate depression.

Sources of Omega 3 Fat

Some of the best sources of omega 3 fat comes from oils such as flaxseed oil and canola oil. Besides the oil, ground flaxseed is also a good way to get this fat source in your system.

Though not present in large amounts, this fat is also found in green leafy vegetables. However, a fair amount of the fat can be found in beans such as kidney, black beans, black-eyed peas, and especially pinto beans.

In addition, as some of you may already know, seafood, in particular fish, is a good source of omega 3 fat. Some of your choices include salmon, sardines, tuna, trout, whitefish, and herring. The only drawback is that many fish varieties are farm raised, which brings with them an increase amount of mercury and other chemicals found in them. The FDA recommendation to limit your exposure to mercury in fish is to limit consumption to 12 ounces a week.

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