Are You Getting Enough Omega-3's?

We’ve all heard the buzz, “eat more omega-3’s”, and I’m here to tell you why! When most people think of fat they think bad thoughts, unfortunately not all fats should be treated equal. In fact, some fats are essential to the diet, the omega-3 being one of them. Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the two fatty acids the body cannot synthesize. This means, if they are not being consumed by the diet, the body cannot build them. Why is this bad do you say? Let me explain…


Omega-3 fatty acids are a part of many important functions in the body. They are key components to energy production, immunity, electron transfer, maintaining elasticity of the cell membranes, blood circulation, among many other important processes. When the body is lacking this essential nutrient, it cannot function optimally. Many conditions may evolve in the body due to a lack of this fatty acid including: heart disease, varicose veins, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, poor concentration, polycystic ovarian disease, and many more.

So how do you know if you are getting enough of this valuable nutrient? Odds are, if you consume the average American diet… you aren’t! Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods such as fatty fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, and seaweed. If you do consume these products on a regular basis, you most likely are consuming enough omega-3’s to keep your body balanced, but are you taking the stability of the fatty acid into account? Due to the chemical structure of the compound, this fatty acid is extremely unstable - over exposure to light or heat will destroy the molecule and inhibit function. This means, if you are cooking your fish or toasting your walnuts you are probably destroying your omega-3’s. Oh no!

No worries, thanks to the supplement industry, those of us who are not getting enough omega-3’s in our diet can do so with ease (to date, there is no RDI established for the amount of omega-3 fatty acids the average adult should consume, but experts are leaning towards 1-3 grams per day). Typically the oil from fish or flaxseeds is used to create a healthy supplement. I recommend organic flax seed oil over fish oil because farmers can regulate the soil and monitor the crop, where as one can never be sure what is in a fish. Animals store most of their toxins in their fat, this includes heavy metals; even though the fish oil goes through a distillation process to remove the toxins, it is never certain they all are removed. When choosing an omega-3 supplement make sure that it is packaged in a bottle that blocks out the light and always make sure to refrigerate after opening!