Sources of Omega -3 Fatty Acids

You’ve probably been hearing about omega-3 fatty acids in recent years. The reason? A growing body of scientific research indicates that these healthy fats help prevent a wide range of medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, depression, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis. The problem is, they are necessary for human health but the body can’ t make them — you have to get them through food.  Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioural function.

What conditions or symptoms indicate a need for more high-omega-3 foods?

• Depression
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Fatigue
• Dry, itchy skin
• Brittle hair and nails
• Inability to concentrate
• Joint pain

When it comes to increasing your omega-3 fatty acids intake, don’t worry about bringing your calculator to the kitchen. All you have to do is to focus on bringing more omega-3 rich foods into your diet.
Eating fish and seafood such as salmon, halibut, tuna and scallops a few times a week is an easy way to increase your omega-3 intake. Plus you’ll get all of the other nutritional benefits that these foods have to offer.

For Vegetarians, its not that difficult either :

Flaxseeds and walnutsAt the top of my list for increasing omega-3s would be flaxseeds and walnuts. One-quarter cup of flaxseeds contains about 7 grams of omega-3 fatty acids while one-quarter cup of walnuts contains about 2.3 grams. In either case, the amount is pretty substantial. Therefore by combining one-quarter cup of walnuts with a tablespoon of flaxseeds you will add close to the recommended 4 grams of omega-3 fats to your diet.

Beans
Flaxseeds and walnuts are not your only choices, of course! One cup’s worth of soybeans, navy beans, or kidney beans provides between 0.2 and 1.0 grams of omega-3s. A four-ounce serving of tofu will provide about 0.4 grams of omega-3s.

Winter Squash and Olive Oil A cup of winter squash will provide you approximately 0.3 grams. For extra virgin olive oil, the amount of omega-3s per ounce is about 0.2 grams (a word about using extra virgin olive oil-don’t fry with it as you’ll damage the omega-3s)