Eating right is not always easy. For instance, the complexity of getting good nutrition out of essential fatty acids might turn people away from even trying. From this article, you will gain an understanding of which essential fatty acids belong in healthy diets and why.
The payoffs of making an effort to learn how to eat healthy with omega-3s, specifically EPA and DHA, are far-reaching. A wide scope of research on these two omega-3 fatty acids tells us everything we need to know in order to start making healthy eating choices that improve our lives as a whole.
In the first research study we reference, people with mild Alzheimer's were given EPA/DHA supplements. After 6 months of this treatment, their scores on cognitive tests improved. We also know that an EPA/DHA treatment can reduce depression. Conversely, people with low levels of DHA in their brains are more prone to depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is associated with low levels of EPA and DHA and high levels of omega-6 fats in the blood. All of these health concerns relate to the brain, an all-important organ in everyone's bodies.
Another study looked at the effects of omega-3s on body composition. Healthy weight loss and effective muscle increase are the goals of body re-composition systems, and EPA/DHA supplements just might be the best addition to diet food to reach these goals. To show why, men and women who were overweight took 6g of tuna oil a day, which meant about 1.9g of omega-3s. After 12 weeks of combining this healthy eating plan with moderate exercise, they lost clinically significant amounts of body fat. Healthy women and men can also get some help maintaining ideal fat-burning rates, as approximately 2lb of fat were lost due to increased lipid oxidation when these people ingested 6g of fish oil in place of another type of dietary fat each day. The way omega-3s help people achieve healthy weight loss and maintain healthy body compositions is most likely through EPA and DHA being preferentially incorporated into cell membranes and/or being the catalyst of advantageous anti-inflammatory processes. Either way, the fats are being used in ways other than storage, which is the goal of learning how to eat healthy in order to improve body composition.
People with rheumatoid arthritis can find some relief from debilitating symptoms by using omega-3 diet food as treatment. Two recent meta-analyses showed that EPA/DHA supplementation lessened pain intensity, decreased morning stiffness, limited the number of affected joints, improved physical performance, and reduced the amount of necessary pain medication.
Essential omega-3 fatty acids can be found in healthy diets that include plant oils (chia, pumpkin, hemp, flax), but these are alphalinoleic acids. The fatty acids we are focusing on as the origin of multiple health benefits, EPA and DHA, are linoleic acids and come from the sea (fish, algae, shellfish). While any nutrient under the umbrella category of omega-3 fat is good nutrition, EPA and DHA are the ones every person should focus on obtaining. Rather than turning to the sea for every ingredient in healthy meals, people usually turn to a supplement of fish oil. But, times are changing, and research has identified a new marine source of omega-3s that is even more effective and beneficial than fish oil.
This source is a tiny shrimp-like crustacean called krill. They live in the frigid Antarctic waters and are able to survive because of the high EPA and DHA content in their cell membranes. This feature, coupled with a lack of toxic build-up, makes krill a safe alternative to fish. Another unique feature of krill is that its EPA and DHA are in the phospholipid form, instead of triglyceride, which means more efficient intake by cells. Phospholipids have additional helpful components that are not found in fish. Choline is an important nutrient for brain development and astaxanthin is an antioxidant that protects cells from damage and boosts immune function.
Are you wondering how krill oil can actually help you and if it's worth it to start a supplement regimen? For a few examples, if you suffer from PMS, deal with inflammation in your body, or want a healthier heart, then you should be taking krill oil. A research study took 70 women who were diagnosed with PMS and treated them with 2g of either fish oil or krill oil. Both supplied 600mg of EPA and DHA, but remember that krill oil has a bonus: naturally occurring phospholipids. Krill outperformed fish oil in lessening joint pain, irritability, depression, stress, and bloating. Also, the participants who received krill oil did not need as much analgesic pain medication as the fish oil group.
Heart disease and arthritis are two conditions that result from inflammation. People familiar with inflammatory diseases know that CRP is a systemic marker of inflammation. A recent study performed with people who had high CRP levels and either heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or osteoarthritis found that krill oil worked to reduce CRP levels by 19% after only 7 days. Being treated for 30 days resulted in levels being reduced by 30%.
Another study focused solely on heart health. People with elevated blood LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which are common risk factors for heart disease, were given one of the following treatments: 1-1.5g/day or 2-3g/day of krill oil (based on individuals' BMIs), 3g of fish oil, or a placebo. The lowest dose of krill oil lowered LDL cholesterol and raised healthy HDL cholesterol. 2g/day added the effect of lowered triglycerides. The fish oil did lower cholesterol, but it was a smaller change than what the krill oil produced, and it did not help out triglyceride levels.
The bottom line on eating right with omega-3 fats is that you should choose EPA and DHA from marine sources. Krill oil will give you the daily dose needed to complete a proper ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, plus additional health benefits. Check out EFA Icon from Prograde if you're ready for a healthier life.
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