Alternative Sources Of Omega-3 ALA And Omega-3 EPA And DHA Are Being Studied For Viability.

By Melanie Caplan


Such encouraging news has generated a good deal of interest in Omega 3 of late.

Genetic modification is also being explored, with one experiment inserting genes which will produce long-chain Omega-3 polyunsaturates into existing oilseed varieties. Another uses gene transfer technology to directly convert Omega-6 polyunsaturates to their Omega-3 counterparts.

As the health reputation of the Omega-3s grows, food manufacturers have explored the opportunity of fortifying everyday foods with Omega-3s. Omega-3 eggs are increasingly available; for example, bread fortified with 13mg of Omega-3 DHA per slice is now available in New Zealand and Australia. Malaysia has a cracker fortified with vitamins, minerals and both Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs and a similarly fortified margarine serves as a fine accompaniment.

There are many foods containing omega 3 fatty acids in small amounts, but these foods usually contain omega 6 fatty acids as well, so in order to maintain the best balance doctors often recommend omega 3 supplements. Short chain omega 3 foods are plant sources like flaxseed, chia, purslane, lingonberry, and hemp. These are foods containing omega 3 fatty acids known as ALA. The body must convert this ALA to the long chain omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. However, this conversion happens inefficiently in many people for various reasons.

Sources of Omega-3's

The most obvious method, eating suitable fish regularly, isn't practical for everybody, as again - not everyone enjoys fish, some people are even allergic to it and, of course, vegetarians and vegans don't eat fish. Fortunately there are a wide range of supplements on the market for those people.

Many doctors recommend that vegan diets include an algae oil supplement, since such people will not use the best omega 3 source -- high quality fish oil supplements -- because algae oil contains DHA and EPA fatty acids.

Omega 3 fatty acids are not restricted to fish oils - they can also be found in a number of plant extracts as well. The best source of Omega-3 is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which includes flaxseed (linseed) oil, rapeseed (canola) oil, chia seeds, walnuts and walnut oil, the Mediterranean plant, purslane, grass-reared meat, and dark green leafy vegetables. These items are widely found in health food stores and in natural health markets.

A relatively new addition to the omega 3 foods list is a fish called the Hoki, which contains naturally high levels of DHA and EPA fatty acids and comes from New Zealand where the waters are pristine.

People who do not like any of the foods containing omega 3 fatty acids may want to consider a fish oil supplement which is tasteless and actually helps the cells of the body absorb other substances like calcium. A fish oil supplement should be purified or pharmaceutical quality. Hoki fish oil is a good choice.

Before this happened, animals were free range and grazed on their natural diets, which, in the case of cows as one example, was grass. Their natural grass diet created naturally lean beef that was high in omega-3 fatty acids.




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