High in Omega-3

All polyunsaturated fats are increasingly recognized as being important to human health.  Omega-3 fatty acids (found primarily in cold-water fish) and Omega-6 fatty acids are forms of polyunsaturated fats.  Omega-6 fatty acids are found in grains, most plant-based oils, poultry, and eggs.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are termed essential fatty acids because they are critical for good health.  However, the body cannot make them on its own.  For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food, thus making outside sources of these fats "essential."

Although the body needs both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to thrive, most people consume far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega 3 fatty acids.  Many experts now recommend consuming a better balance of these two essential fatty acids.  For good health, a 2-to-1 Omega 6 to Omega-3 ratio is recommended.  The diet of most Americans is currently estimated to be 20-to-1, therefore the emphasis now needs to be on increasing omega-3 fats to make the ratio more even.  Ongoing research is consistently reporting new health benefits for the omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Heart Health

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help keep cholesterol levels low, stabilize irregular heart beat, and reduce blood pressure.  Omega-3 fatty acids are also natural blood thinners, reducing the "stickiness" of blood cells (called platelet aggregation), which can lead to such complications as blood clots and stroke.  Without a sufficient supply of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, the body will use saturated fat to construct cell membranes. The resulting cell membranes are less elastic, a situation that makes the heart muscle stiffer and less able to return to a resting state.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Autoimmune Diseases

Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. Consumption of omega-3 oils improves rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Raynaud's disease, and other autoimmune diseases. This is probably because the omega-3 fatty acids help the arteries, as well as many other parts of the body, stay inflammation free.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Brain Function

The brain is 60% fat and needs omega-3 fats to function properly.  Researchers have discovered a link between mood disorders and the presence of low concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in the body.  Apparently, omega-3 fats help regulate mental health problems because they enhance the ability of brain-cell receptors to comprehend mood-related signals from other neurons in the brain.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Aid Cancer Prevention

Preliminary research from the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may help maintain healthy breast tissue and prevent breast cancer. In a recent study, participants who supplemented their diet with fish oils produced lower quantities of a carcinogen associated with colon cancer than did a placebo group.