Why this Food is Important on your Diet

Why this Food is Important on your Diet

I bit that you heard at least one time from your physician, dietician or even read it somewhere that eating fish healthy because of Omega-3. What is Omega-3 and why we need it in our body.

Omega-3 is polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) have one or more double bond between carbon molecules chain, there is also another (PUFA) called omega-6 both of them are essential in your diet because the human body cant synthesize them. Although, human can desaturate and elongate (break down the double and make it longer chain to make them less vulnerable to oxidative damages) Linoleic acid (omega-3) to arachidonic acid and ALA –alfa to EPA and DHA acids the forms used in our bodies as protective factors.

Why they are important

Researches has shown that omega-3 and 6 play an important role in preventing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) as an protective agents, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancer types.

Sources of these fatty acids:

Omega-6 found in membrane of land animal, olive oil, sesame oil, raw nuts seeds, pumpkin seeds and pistachios.

Omega-3 (EPA) and (DHA) found in marine organisms such as cod liver oil, mackerel, salmon and sardine and omega-3 found also in plant and vegetable sources such as flaxseed, canola, and soybean oils and in green leaves in a few plants like, purslane.

What happened when I don’t have sufficient amount of Omega-3,6

Omega-6 deficiency results growth retardation, skin lesions, reproductive failure, fatty liver, polydipsia (excessive thirst).

Omega-3 deficiency results impaired vision, neurological problems.

How much do i need: source

Press on the photo for enlarge

Omega-6,3 Ratios:

As you can see the importance of these fatty acid but it is more important to have balance amount of omega-3,6. An excess amount of omega-6 can saturate the enzyme that helps to desaturate and elongate both omega-3,6 and prevent the conversion of ALA-alfa to EPA and DHA. So the optimal ratio of omega-6/omega-3 has been estimated to be 2:1 to 3:1 that’s why it is recommended to consume more omega-3 than omega-6.

I don’t like to eat fish and I’m not sure if I’m having the recommended amount met of omega-3:

Even if you don’t eat fish you can still able to have your recommendation of om-3 met, you can use flaxseeds, canola, and soybean oils for your cooking instead of oils with high Trans fat levels like coconut oil. There is also some food supplemented with omega-3 to help vegetarian and people don’t eat fish such as, eggs, milk, and orange juice. In addition, you could obtain it as supplementation tablets from cod liver oil tablets or omega-3 marine fish oil tablets.

Sources:

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-omega-3-6-9-fatty-acids/
Krause’s Food & Nutrition Therapy (L. Kathleen Mahan, Sylvia Escott- Stump)