Omega 3 Fatty Acids are Essential to Your Health

The news is full of stories about Omega 3 fatty acids, but you may not understand exactly what they are or what they do. It's important to understand these polyunsaturated acids because they are considered essential to good health, and your body can't produce them on its own. The only way to get them is to consume them in food or nutritional supplements.

Omega 3 fatty acids are a type of fat the body needs to effectively metabolize fuel. In addition, they help prevent heart disease by keeping arteries clear and have even been shown to help maintain healthy brain function by protecting the integrity of the myelin sheath that covers the nerve tissues of the brain and spinal cord.

More recently, studies have shown that enough Omega 3 fat acid consumption helps control your appetite, making it an aid to weight loss. It controls hunger by controlling blood sugar levels, allowing you to feel fuller longer and decreasing cravings for sweets. It also increases the metabolism somewhat so that you will burn off excess calories more rapidly.

How do you make sure you are getting enough Omega 3 fatty acid? The foods richest in them are fatty, cold water fish such as salmon, herring and sardines, walnuts and peanuts. If you eat fatty fish at least twice a week, you should get enough. For those of us who don't eat fish that often, the two best sources are fish oil supplements (look for pure fish oil from the body of the fish, not the liver - it will be lower in possible contaminants and easier to process) and flax seed oil. Flax seed oil can be used in salads and other raw dishes, or taken as a supplement.

The multiple health benefits of this healthy form of fatty acid make it an excellent choice for supplementing your diet. With no side effects and plenty of studies showing it lowers cholesterol and reduces heart disease risk, it's a definite winner when added to your weight loss plan.

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