I love adding fats like avocados and coconut oil to my diet and I encourage others to not be afraid of adding in good quality fats to theirs. But I don’t talk nearly enough about omega-3 fatty acids and their important role in health.
Research suggests that many people today are not getting enough essential omega-3 fatty acids in their diet due to an abundance of processed fats on the shelves today containing mostly omega-6 fatty acids (think vegetable oils), creating a higher ratio of omega-6 vs. omega-3. That’s why I think it’s important to understand the benefits of omega-3’s and how to incorporate more of them into your diet. But first, let’s start with how much we really need.
Recommended daily amount of omega-3’s
The World Health Organization recommends a daily intake of 1.1-1.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily. A standard 3.5-ounce serving of salmon has about 1 gram of omega-3’s per serving.
To further break it down, it’s recommended that 0.3-0.5 grams come from EPA and DHA and 0.8-1.1 grams come from ALA [1].
The difference between ALA, DHA, and EPA
DHA and EPA come from animal foods like fish and grass-fed beef, whereas ALA come from plants like flax seeds and walnuts. You can also find EPA and DHA in marine plants such as algae and ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA, but research suggests that only a small amount of ALA can be synthesized. And marine plant sources alone may not produce enough omega-3 fatty acids.
Benefits of omega-3’s
Studies have shown that omega-3’s, particularly EPA and DHA, are important for fetal development, help reduce inflammation, help with overall cardiovascular health, and may be linked to cognitive function. Diets much higher in omega-6’s than 3’s could lead to increased levels inflammation in the body. As someone who works-out regularly, keeping inflammation levels low is very important to me.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t have any omega-6’s, they are also important, but in todays’s Western diet where nearly everything is processed with vegetable oils, we are getting too much of them over omega-3’s. The average American eats a ratio of anywhere from 12:1 to 25:1 omega-6 to omega-3 [2, 3]. For most people, an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 4:1 is substantial [4].
Getting enough omega-3’s
If you are consuming foods high in EPA and DHA such as salmon or grass-fed beef at least once a week as well as eating foods high in ALA such as walnuts, chia or flax seeds regularly, chances are, you are getting enough of each of the type of omega-3’s. But since salmon can be high in mercury and grass-fed beef is more costly, many people tend to only consume these foods in moderation. I try to buy wild caught fish over farmed raised as it not only has lower mercury levels, but is also higher in omega-3’s since it’s not fed a farm-raised diet that can cause the fish to fatten up, which could mean more omega-6’s vs. 3’s. So it’s also important to know where your fish is being sourced from and how to get to most quality out of it.
Is it necessary to supplement?
If you are worried you are not getting enough EPA and DHA omega-3’s, you may consider supplementing with a fish oil , however, it’s always wise to check with your doctor before doing so. I take a krill oil which I find has the highest levels of EPA and DHA omega-3’s. I look for brands that don’t add any unnecessary fillers and are wild caught. Here is one I’m currently taking: Krill Oil.
I try and get my nutrition from whole foods, so lately I’ve been loving Wild Planet’s Tuna as each two-ounce serving of their albacore tuna contains an average of 800mg EPA and DHA Omega 3 fatty acid.
Here is a great omega-3 rich sandwich to add to your weekly meals:
Heart Healthy Tuna Fish Sandwich
Ingredients:
1 pouch of Wild Planet’s Tuna
1/2 ripe avocado
2 teaspoons of walnut pesto (recipe below)
Directions:
Mash tuna, avocado, and pesto together with a fork and serve with your favorite bread (I used sourdough)
Walnut Pesto Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup gently packed fresh basil leaves
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Blend ingredients together in a food processor until liquid consistency is achieved.
Enjoy!
Xoxo
Marisa
References:
3. http://cuarts.columbia.edu/tag/alpha-linolenic
4 http://web.archive.org/web/20100107103119/http://ocw.tufts.edu/data/47/531409.pdf
