omega-3 benefits that Your Body Needs

Omega-3 -Your Body Needs it

What happens if you don’t have enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet? Symptoms you can expect include fatigue, mood swings, depression, poor circulation, and memory problems. Clinical research has demonstrated the importance of omega-3 fatty acids not only in how well our bodies function, but how well they prevent health problems.

Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation and improve cognitive function. In infants and children, omega-3 fatty acids promote healthy growth and development and help prevent nerve disorders and vision problems.

Plus, these essential fatty acids help lower your risk for heart disease, certain cancers, arthritis, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

How Much Omega-3 Your Body Needs?

Since the body cannot create its own supply of this essential nutrient, it helps to know, which omega-3 foods you should be eating.

Healthy adults should aim for between 250-2000mg of omega-3 daily, per their doctor’s recommendations.

high Omega-3 Sources:

Walnuts

One of the healthiest nut choices, walnuts are incredibly good sources of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, copper, manganese, and biotin.

A single ounce of walnuts contains over 2500mg of omega-3 fats as well as more than half the daily recommended intake of copper and manganese – two very important trace minerals.

In clinical studies, walnuts are shown to improve memory, learning, and overall mental cognition – especially in relation to Alzheimer’s disease. Walnuts are a great option on their own for a mid-afternoon snack, but you can also add them to cereals, yogurt, or bake them into some heart healthy energy balls.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are probably the most well-known source of omega-3 fatty acids, and for good reason: you need less than one ounce of chia seeds to meet your daily recommended intake.

Chia seeds pack more than omega-3 fatty acids for nutritional value. They are extremely high in fiber for how small they are, and they are also quite high in protein: one ounce of chia seeds has a whopping 10.6 grams of fiber and 4.4 grams of protein!

These little seeds also contain a respectable amount of omega-6 fatty acids, which is important because your body needs a good ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids for optimal nutrition and health benefits.

Sprinkle some chia seeds over a salad, add
them to your smoothie, or make your own chia seed pudding! Chia seeds have a very mild flavor (if any), and when soaked they are a great thickener.




Hemp Seed

Hemp is quite possibly among the most useful and healthy plants known to man. Containing around 2.5g of omega-3 fatty acids 30 grams, hemp seed is also rich in protein, fiber, and the micronutrients iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Most clinical research on hemp seed involves the benefits on heart health – preventing blood clots and aiding recovery from (and preventing future) heart attacks.

Hemp seed has a long history in Eastern and alternative medicine, used to treat everything from neurological disorders to mild skin ailments.

To incorporate more hemp into your diet, you can use hempseed oil as you would any other vegetable oil, sprinkle hemp seeds over cereal, yogurt, into smoothies, or anywhere else you would normally use granola for a nice crunch.