It’s easy to say that you need to go eat more omega 3 fats. However, you might be curious as to just what exactly are omega 3s. We will give you a brief, understandable omega 3 definition.
First, what are essential fatty acids?
EFAS are amino acids that your body needs to function properly. These acids play a big part in most of your body’s functions. You need fatty acids in order to build fat and muscle tissue as well as to keep your cardiovascular system running properly.
The difference between essential acids and other fats is just that the essential ones are both a) necessary for your body to develop and function properly as well as b) your body cannot produce these substances out of other nutrients.
The omega definition has changed a bit over time, but this is still how they are primarily known today.
What are some of the omega EFAS?
There are several major fatty acids that you need to get in your diet either through what you eat or through a supplement in order to stay healthy. These fatty acids include EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, DHA, docosahexaenoic acid and ALA, alpha-linolenic acid. These different fatty acids all perform different functions in the body and can be found in different foods.
ALA is primarily found in plant-based sources of fatty acids, like flaxseed and almonds. EPA and DHA are all primarily found in meat sources. For example, fish is a good source of both EPA and DHA fatty acids.
Which of these essential fats is more essential?
Although according to the omega fats definition, all three major acids (DHA, EPA, and ALA) are highly essential to keep your body working right, there is a slight difference between these fatty acids.
In some situations, if your diet is high in one of the acids and low in the others, it is possible for your body to produce one of the acids by converting the others. This is very hard on your body, however, and therefore it is recommended that you take omega 3 fish oil supplements or flax oil supplements to make sure you always have enough omega 3 in your diet.