Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

Adding omega-3 essential fatty acids to your diet is important if you want to live a healthy lifestyle that results in feeling and looking great. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are made up of two components: DHA (which stands for docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

The best source of DHA and EPA is fish, especially salmon, seaweed, shellfish and algae. You can also get omega-3 from unrefined whole grains, dark & leafy greens and certain nuts and seeds like walnuts, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. This second group contains ALA (alpha linolenic acid), which your body then converts to EPA and DHA.

Your best bet, however, is to get your omega-3 from seafood because your body converts only about 15 percent of dietary ALA to EPA and much less to DHA.

What do you do if you don't like, and absolutely refuse to eat, seafood? Well, you can get omega-3 in capsule form. Not everyone's stomach can handle these capsules, but try them out for one month. It's an extremely convenient way to add omega-3 to your diet.

When purchasing omega-3 in pill form, you'll notice some products also contain the other two components of essential fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-9. Stick with the products that contain only high amounts of omega-3. Most people already get high amounts of these two fatty acids from their diet, and it's this lack of omega-3 that is potentially the culprit behind many health problems today.

When adding omega-3 to your diet through pills, look for 1, 000 mg pills and take three to nine per day with food, depending on your current health status and healthy living goals. Consult your physician about this.

What are the health benefits associated with omega-3 fatty acids? They improve health by:

Vitamin C | Omega-3 |Antioxidants | Smoothies | Whey Protein | Green Tea | Calcium