Friday, October 19, 2007

OMEGA 3 or EFAs "The Link In Staying Healthy"

If you are suffering with cardiovascular diseases, skin problems, allergies or mental disorders, chances are that the culprit is lack of omega 3 EFAs or Essential fatty acids.

Omega 3 or EFAs are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are good fats and are as crucial for human life as minerals and vitamins. However, omega 3/EFAs cannot be synthesized by our body directly and we need to obtain them from our diets.

Omega 3 efas consist of Eicosapentaenoic acid, Docosahexaenoic acid and Alpha-linolenic acids. ALA acids need to be converted or broken down into DHA and EPA to be absorbed by our body's cell membranes. Since our body does not produce omega 3 EFAs, it is important that they be supplemented through our diet.

There is a gross imbalance of omega 6 and omega 3 in our diets. Our omega 3 to omega 6 ratio should be 3:1 ideally, but it is the opposite for most Westerners who survive mainly on processed food.

Scientists believe that lack of omega 3 fatty acids is the main cause behind most of the Western degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, depression, arthritis and skin allergies.

To correct this imbalance, you first need to know the various dietary sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. The richest source of omega 3 fats are cold water fishes such as salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel and Hoki. Other seafood such as scallops, shrimps and crabs are also a good source of omega 3 efas. Plant-based sources include green leafy vegetables such as spinach, tofu, soybeans, walnuts, hemp seeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil and sunflower oil.

Hoki fish found in the Southern oceans of New Zealand is especially rich in DHA and EPA. Fish oil extracted from Hoki fish is known to have 40% more DHA than other fish oils.
Coming from the pristine waters of New Zealand, fish oil extracted from Hoki fish is relatively free of toxins such as mercury, metals. However, manufacturers of this product use molecular distillation to remove all traces of toxins.

Why do I need Omega 3 efas?


Omega 3 fatty acids form an integral part of our cell membranes. The Human brain is 8% fats by weight. DHA is the main building block of brain cells and EPA enables communication between nerve cells and brain.

Regular consumption of omega 3 fatty acids can increase your I.Q, help you concentrate better, treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and increase your memory. Eating a diet rich in omega 3 lowers the triglycerides and increases the HDL or good cholesterol level in blood. This prevents against a variety of coronary heart diseases. Omega 3 efas also helps in better blood circulation and inhibits clotting of platelets or blockage of arteries.
Skin allergies and disorders such as eczema and psoriasis can be treated completely with the help of fish oils. They also increase the metabolism rate in the body and help obese people loose weight easily.Thus, for a healthy heart and brain, you need to make omega 3 EFAs a part of your daily diet. Just make sure you purchase only Pharmaceutical brand, molecularly distilled omega 3 supplements.

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