Just the other day, I was reading the label on a loaf of bread I bought and noticed it was fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat.
You can now find eggs, cereal, waffles, milk, margarine spreads, and even orange juice fortified with omega-3s. But do you know what these fatty acids can do for you and how much you are supposed to consume?
Researchers have identified a number of benefits from consuming omega-3 fatty acids:
- Improving inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and asthma
- Lowering blood pressure and triglycerides
- Increasing HDL (good) cholesterol
- Reducing depression, as well as the symptoms of bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease
The American Heart Association recommends we consume the following amounts of omega-3s:
- for people without heart disease, at least two servings each week of a fatty fish such as salmon
- for people with heart disease, 1 gram each of DHA and EPA (types of omega-3s) daily
- for people with elevated triglycerides, 2 to 4 grams each of DHA and EPA daily, in capsule form
This supplementation should be done under your doctor's supervision.
Foods that naturally contain omega-3s include fish (salmon, tuna, white fish), flaxseed, walnuts, pinto beans, and broccoli, as well as canola, soybean, and flaxseed oils. To find out how much omega-3s are in some of the foods you eat, look up particular foods in NutritionData.
Enjoy some of the really good fats — think about your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
