Gone are the days when fats were held as the root cause of chronic diseases and health conditions like heart diseases, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, etc.
Research has proved that there are certain kind of fats that are actually good for our health and in fact essential for proper functioning of the body.
These are unsaturated fats or more precisely polyunsaturated fats like omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 that helps in proper functioning of the skin, immune system, nervous system, respiratory system and circulatory system.
Omega 3 is broken down as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in the body.
These are highly unsaturated fats that are known to reduce inflammation, cure eye related problems, and improve heart health and memory power.
Health Benefits Of Omega 3, 6, 9:
Health benefits of essential fatty acids are numerous, and the most important thing about these fatty acids such as omega 3, 6 and 9 are that they cannot be produced by the body itself and therefore it needs to be supplemented through external food sources.
The basic health benefiting aspects have been stated below:
Reducing High Cholesterol:
The EPA and DHA present in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids help in lowering the risk of heart diseases, heart attacks and stroke by lowering the levels of triglyceride in the blood by reducing LDL “bad” cholesterol level and improving HDL “good” cholesterol level.
It also helps in regularizing heart beat and reducing blood clots. Omega 3 fatty acids also reduce inflammation and revoke the damage caused by harmful free radicals.
One of the best ways to introduce omega 3 into daily diet is by taking fish oil omega 3 supplements.
Controlling High Blood Pressure:
Research shows that a regular intake of essential fatty acids like omega 3 from fish or fish oil capsules helps in controlling high blood pressure and hypertension effectively.
Omega 3 also helps in improving heart health by reducing hardening of the arteries, increasing strength and elasticity of the arterial walls, reducing plaque and clot buildup and normalizing heartbeat.
Improving Memory:
Omega 3 fatty acids, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an excellent brain food that improves the communication between brain cells or neurons and helps in efficient brain functioning.
DHA forms an important component of the grey matter of the brain and helps in maintaining the brain cell membranes in a fluid state that improves transmission of brain signals and information which in turn increases memory, concentration and performance and treats schizophrenia, depression related disorders like bipolar disorder, eating disorders, etc.
Treating Arthritis:
Most physicians prescribe omega 3 supplements to treat the symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis because it helps in reducing inflammation of the joints.
Omega 3 fatty acids help in lowering joint stiffness, joint pain and inflammation. It also helps in improving bone strength, grip strength, walking pace by increasing calcium levels in the body. It prevents bone loss and decay and minimizes the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.
Treating Skin Disorders:
When it comes to skin care, omega 3 6 9 benefits for skin in such a way that it helps in turning the skin smoother.
Most of us run after expensive beauty products blindly but in reality, head to toe healthy skin can be achieved only if you are feeding your skin with the right nutrients from within.
Diet plays an extremely important role in improving skin conditions and a diet rich in omega 3 “the good fat” can help in improving skin texture, smoothness and skin tone.
It supports the skin cell membranes to retain moisture so that skin appears softer, supple and younger looking. It also reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and age spots from the skin to give it a beautiful, younger looking appearance.
Promote Weight Loss:
A diet rich in omega 3, 6 and 9 helps in effective weight loss. The essential fatty acids work in a two-way process to promote weight loss.
While omega 3 speeds up the metabolism that helps the body to burn stored fat at a faster rate, omega 6 and omega 9 supports the functioning of the brain and heart that improves digestion and oxidation of fats.
While fish oil is a good source of omega 3, omega 6 and 9 are found in abundance in flaxseed oil.
Top 6 Natural Sources Of EPA And DHA – Basic Components Of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Although fish oil and flaxseeds are the best natural sources of essential fatty acids, there are several other plant-based sources that also supply a considerable amount of omega 3 to the body.
Flaxseed Oil:
Flaxseeds are the number one source of plant based omega 3 fatty acids and the most abundant omega 3 fatty acid found in flaxseeds is ALA or alpha-linolenic acid.
Health benefits of flax seeds are numerous- the most important being the maintenance of cardiovascular health, it protects the blood vessels and arteries against inflammation, reduce oxidative stress.
The anti-inflammatory aspect of flaxseeds makes it an active agent for cancer prevention and it reduces the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer considerably. It also helps in improving digestive health and treats post- menopausal problems.
Although it is important to include flaxseeds or flaxseed oil in our daily diet but people might face difficulties in coming up with innovative recipes that include flaxseeds, therefore Inlife has brought a 100% natural flaxseed oil substitute – Flaxseed Oil Capsule that is a rich source of omega 3,6 and 9.
The best thing about the capsule is that the fatty acids can be properly absorbed in the body without losing its bioavailability. Being a plant based source of omega 3, 6 and 9 it is ideal for those who don’t eat fish.
Each capsule contains pure extra virgin cold pressed flaxseed oil that help in improving overall health, maintaining heart health, controlling blood glucose levels, joint pains, enhancing brain functions and promoting weight loss.
Chia Seeds:
Chia seeds are yet another important source of heart healthy ALA omega 3 fatty acids. Both omega 3 and 6 are essential fatty acids that can’t be produced by our body on its own yet omega 3 is a more precious one because it is difficult to find this nutrient in foods whereas omega 6 is readily available in nuts, fruits and vegetables.
The essential fatty acids in chia seeds helps in reducing blood cholesterol by lowering the level of LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing the level of HDL “good” cholesterol. It also helps in reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure and controlling blood glucose level.
Walnuts:
Walnut is an excellent source of enhancing memory. It is also called as brain food and is a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids that help in improving heart health and lowering cholesterol from the blood .
Being a plant source of essential fatty acids, the omega 3 is in the form of ALA. ALA or Alpha-linolenic acid helps in reducing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, lowering inflammation, minimizing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
If you have a poor memory power and are unable to remember things walnut is the best source in enhancing memory power. So throw in a few nuts in your bag and munch on this healthy snack whenever you feel hungry.
Eggs:
Eggs are a great non-vegetarian source of omega 3 fatty acids and a great substitute for those who don’t eat fish.
The long chain omega 3 present in eggs helps in preventing auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, protects against heart diseases, reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes and improves vision.
It helps in increasing the level of HDL “good” cholesterol while lowering the level of triglycerides and LDL “bad” cholesterol in blood.
Fish Oil:
Fish oil is one of the richest sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially omega 3 and its health benefits are numerous.
It not only helps in relieving inflammation, arthritis, joint pains and heart diseases, but the EPA and DHA in omega 3 works together to promote weight loss by boosting the metabolism to speed up fat burning.
It also helps in proper cell functioning and cell regeneration that reduces skin aging. Fish oil omega 3 also helps in improving bone strength and preserving lean muscles.
Certain sea fishes like Arctic Char, Wild Salmon, Atlantic Mackerel are a great source of omega 3 but it is more effective to take in fish oil omega 3 in the form of omega 3 supplements or capsules, and this can be effectively done with Inlife’s Fish Oil Capsule made from pure fish oil extracted from sardine fish. Each capsule contains 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA.
These capsules help in direct absorption of the omega 3 fatty acid by the body which does not undergo any further breakdown by the body.
Spinach:
Spinach is a rich plant source of essential fatty acids which are easily available to everyone. The omega 3 fatty acids in spinach have amazing anti-inflammatory properties and helps in reducing the risk of chronic diseases and certain types of cancer.
It also helps in improving memory , boosting brain performance, increasing concentration and efficiency, while the anti-oxidant properties of this leafy vegetables helps in reducing the harmful effects of oxidative stress on blood vessels and arteries.
Add these foods to your daily diet or include omega 3 supplements like Inlife’s Flax Seed Oil and Fish Oil capsules to your health regime and keep chronic diseases like heart problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, weight gain, stress and fatigue at bay.
