What supplement has the highest omega 3 content?

Now more and more often you can hear about the benefits fatty acids. People who want to be healthy try not to consume animal fats, making a choice in favor of vegetable oil. When choosing foods for a diet, many find out where Omega-6 is found. Therefore, sometimes it turns out that even too much of these fatty acids enters the body. And despite the fact that they are very beneficial for health, their excess can lead to serious violations in the functioning of various organs.

The role of fats in the body

Women who want to lose weight often cut out fat altogether. But this cannot be done, since these substances are necessary for the body. It is from the components of fats that the molecules that make up cell membranes are built. Therefore, with a lack of fat, cells cannot grow and exchange information.

In addition, fats are used for energy production. Not a single process in the body can do without them. Moreover, both vegetable and animal fats are needed. The only things to avoid are trans fats, such as margarine, and refined oils. Overcooked fats can also become harmful, because with a strong increase in temperature, their components decompose with the formation of carcinogens..

Characterization of fatty acids

Of all the fats that enter the body with food, unsaturated ones are useful. There are a lot of them, but no more than two dozen are considered important for a person. All of them are included in the group These are monounsaturated acids Omega-9, polyunsaturated acids - Omega-3 and Omega-6. Moreover, if the first can be produced by the body on its own, which is why their deficiency is never observed, all the rest come only with food. And since they are very important for the functioning of cells, every person needs to know where Omega-3 and Omega-6 are contained. This is necessary in order to include these products in the daily diet.

Omega-3s are docosahexaenoic, eicosapentaenoic and alpha-linoleic acids. They participate in the work of the central nervous system Therefore, their deficiency negatively affects health. Omega-6 is represented mainly by linoleic acid. It is used to produce other substances needed by the body, such as gamma-linolenic and arachidonic acids.

If polyunsaturated fatty acids enter the body in sufficient quantities, then mediators that transmit impulses from nerve cells are produced normally. These substances perform the following functions:

• responsible for the sensitivity of receptors;
• participate in the work of the circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems;
• stimulate the processes of smooth muscle work;
• participate in metabolic processes.

Role of fatty acids

It is very important that the body maintains right balance these substances. It is Omega-3s that stimulate the production of mediators for the transmission of nerve impulses. They are most abundant in fish oil, flaxseed oil, and walnuts. But you also need to know where Omega-6 is found. After all, these substances also have very important properties:

• improve the functioning of the nervous system;
• relieve premenstrual syndrome in women;
• reduce inflammation;
• cleanse the body of toxins;
• improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails;
• participate in the processes of cell regeneration;
• normalize the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

What is harmful lack of these fats

Most people are deficient in omega-3s. Because of this, obesity develops, a person ages faster, often gets sick. But it may also be that in not enough linoleic acid also enters the body with food. This occurs with an unbalanced monotonous diet, frequent dieting, or in violation of lipid metabolism. The body also experiences an increased need for these fatty acids in the cold season, with various diseases and during pregnancy.

Then the following symptoms may occur:

• skin condition worsens, eczema appears;
• hair falls out, their growth slows down;
• impaired liver function;
• nervous diseases occur;
• bones and joints suffer;
• immunity decreases;
• reproductive function is impaired.

Where is Omega-6 found?

A table of the ratio of the amount of fatty acids in the most common products is offered for study by people who want to take care of their health. Linoleic acid is good for the body, but it is most effective only when combined with Omega-3 in the right ratio. If the balance of these acids is maintained, the body functions properly. You should try to choose those products that contain Omega-6 and Omega-3 in the correct ratio. They should enter the body, respectively, 8-10 and 0.8-1.6 grams per day.

The following foods are especially useful for maintaining the balance of fatty acids:

• linseed oil;
• chia seeds;
• flax seeds;
• walnuts;
• raw beans;
• lettuce;
• fresh spinach;
• pumpkin;
• cauliflower;
• arugula.

Omega-6: where it is found the most

In order not to experience a lack of any nutrients, you need to monitor the balance of your diet. It is important that fats are present in the diet daily. It is especially necessary to pay attention to those foods that contain the most Omega-6. It can be:

• raw sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds;
• unrefined sunflower, corn, soybean, sesame and other vegetable oils;
• raw pine nuts, pistachios and peanuts;
• wheat, rye, oats, lentils, chickpeas;
• eggs and offal;
• avocado;
• sea ​​fish.

In addition, there are nutritional supplements from which you can get enough linoleic acid. It's primrose oil grape seeds, blackcurrant, the drug "Spirulina" and others. Such supplements are often successfully used for arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, disorders of the cardiovascular system.

But it is not enough to know what foods contain Omega-6, they must also be used correctly. In order for fats to be well absorbed, foods should be cooked as little as possible. Food fried in oil is especially harmful. All oils are recommended to be added to cooked food immediately before consumption. And you need to make sure that they are cold-pressed and unrefined..

Why can there be an excess of these acids

This is most often due to changes in the food industry that have taken place in the last few decades. Grazing cattle on natural pastures becomes unprofitable, as well as catching fish in the sea. If they grow and feed in vivo, then their meat is good for health, as it contains all the necessary nutrients. But now livestock and fish are grown on cheap feed rich in Omega-6. Therefore, modern meat and milk are rich in precisely these fatty acids, but Omega-3 is not in them.

In addition, all junk food contains a large amount of fat. These are chips, french fries, sauces, pizza, sausages.

Why Too Much Omega-6 Is Harmful

Modern craze healthy eating, and especially attention to fats, leads to the fact that the diet of an ordinary person usually does not suffer from their deficiency. Omega-6 fatty acids are now especially ingested with food. Where these substances are contained, few people know, but food industry worried about it for consumers. Indeed, most livestock and fish farms grow products using special feeds rich in these fatty acids. Therefore, many people experience an overabundance of them.

This condition leads to vasoconstriction, increased blood pressure, impaired immunity and frequent inflammatory diseases. People who frequently consume foods rich in omega-6 are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular and oncological diseases, they age faster, suffer from migraines, depression, arthritis or asthma. With an excess of linoleic acid, blood viscosity increases, blood clots may occur. And this happens because the balance of fatty acids is disturbed - there is not enough Omega-3. At the same time, the body begins to use linoleic acid for energy production and cell building..

How to maintain the right balance of fats

These substances must be supplied to the body not just like that, but in the correct ratio. The balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 should be 2:1, in last resort- 6:1. But now in most people it is 10:1, but more often even 30:1, which leads to disruption of the functioning of many organs. Recently, a lack of omega-3 fatty acids has often been observed in a modern person. There are many of them in leafy greens, fresh fish and seafood, but not grown, but living in natural conditions. Since a modern person consumes little of such products, the body switches to omega-6 fatty acids.

Where omega-9 is contained, rarely anyone is interested. After all, this group of fatty acids, even in the absence of them in food, can be synthesized by the body itself. And their shortage is observed mainly in vegetarians, as they are found in meat products, and from vegetables and fruits - only in avocados and olives, a little in almonds, rapeseed and sunflower.

V various dishes and dietary supplements contain fatty acids that have a certain effect on the body. There are polyunsaturated compounds in plant and animal foods. Unsaturated fatty compounds are represented by three groups: omega-3, 6 and nine.

Omega-3 acids denote a number of chemical compounds, some of which cannot be formed in the body on their own. The daily requirement for these compounds is replenished by eating food. Rational intake of fats will help maintain a healthy state of the body.

The Health Benefits of Omega-3s Can't Be Overstated

Connection Features

There are mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. PUFAs are chemical compounds with a certain number of double bonds located after the carbon atom indicated by the number in their name (for example, 3, 6, 9, counting from the end of the molecule). These include omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 9 fatty acids are also polyunsaturated compounds.

Omega-3s are mainly 3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic (ALA), docosahexaenoic (DHA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA). In general, there are various fatty acids in the omega 3, omega 6 groups, but some are more abundant than others. So, omega-3 is represented, for the most part, by alpha-linoleic acid. For 6 omega, the presence of linoleic is more characteristic.

fish in large quantities contains DHA and EPA. Algae also contains large amounts of DHA. ALA is not synthesized in the body and its replenishment in the required amount should be carried out with the help of food or vitamin complexes. But when taking products and pharmacological preparations with ALA, the body synthesizes DHA and EPA.

Contraindications

Some foods can cause allergies. This applies to fish, mussels containing omega-3. Since ingredients rich in omega compounds are classified as high-calorie compounds, it is necessary to limit their consumption in case of obesity.

At overweight certain foods containing PUFAs need to be limited

This applies to the following food ingredients:

• Vegetable oil.
• Cod liver.
• Caviar is black.
• Nuts.

You can get compounds useful for the body not only in the process of eating various dishes.

The pharmaceutical industry offers a range of vitamins, biologically active complexes that contain omega 3 fatty acids. However, uncontrolled use, without first consulting a doctor, is not recommended.

The limitation is due to the fact that the preparations contain synthetic fats, and not natural ones. The effect of these compounds on the body may differ from those present in food.

Impact

Domestic and foreign scientists have confirmed that products with omega fatty acids have a positive effect on humans. Eating or supplementing with omega acids helps reduce the risk of cancer, pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, joints.

The presence of this element in the child's diet is especially important. Meals containing omega fatty acids affect growth, mental development, and improve brain activity and performance. Since omega three acids are present in in large numbers in the brain, their deficiency is reflected in cognitive skills and behavioral responses. Women whose fat intake was limited during pregnancy pose a risk of visual and nervous system pathologies in the fetus. The intake of healthy fats also reduces the level of toxicosis of the body, reduces the risk of preterm birth and contributes to a good pregnancy.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids play an important role in the formation of almost all organs of the fetus

The purpose of taking omega-3 acids can also be prevention:

• Pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, hematopoietic defects: arrhythmia, stroke, heart attack, hypertension, pathology of the blood coagulation system (increased coagulation).
• Hypercholesterolemia.
• Diabetes.
• Diseases of the nervous system and mental defects (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, including after childbirth).
• Pathologies of the joints (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoprosis).

Sufficient intake of fatty acids can prevent the development of benign and malignant tumors, inflammation of the digestive system and favors the metabolism of some of the vitamins. Reception of fats in the required amount can improve regenerative processes. Wound healing is accelerated. The processes of skin renewal are carried out faster. The condition of hair and nails also changes for the better. The use of food or bioactive supplements has a general strengthening effect on the immune system.

What products can be found

These polyunsaturated compounds are present in both plant and animal ingredients.

Herbal food:

• Oils: linseed, rapeseed, soybean, olive, wheat germ.
• Seed: flax, pumpkin.
• Nuts: walnuts, pine nuts, almonds, pistachios, macadamia.
• Vegetables: pumpkin, soybeans, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
• Fruit: avocado.

In such greens as spinach, dill, parsley, purslane, cilantro, fatty compounds are also present. Soy milk and porridge based on flax seeds also have necessary quantity beneficial acids.

Polyunsaturated compounds are also present in animal products:

• In fish: mackerel, sardine, herring ivasi, salmon and others.
• Seafood: mussels, squid, shrimp, crab, cod liver and others.
• Cheese: Camembert.
• eggs.

Table. Comparative analysis of food ingredients with the highest presence of omega-3 fatty acids per 100 grams.

As can be seen from the table, food rich in omega compounds is more present in herbal products or synthesized (fish oil). Which food product to choose should be decided by each individual, based on taste preferences and needs. In the presence of somatic diseases, it is necessary to consult on nutrition with your doctor.

Omega-3 Dosage Depends on Age, Gender and Health

There are certain recommendations for taking synthesized fish oil. One capsule contains 0.18 mg EPA, 0.12 DHA. Children under the age of majority can take 1 capsule per day. It is desirable to avoid taking fish with the possible presence of mercury inside. This applies to sharks, swordfish, royal moquel, tile. There are polyunsaturated compounds in the composition of milk mixtures, so the use must be regulated with specialists.

Fish products should be eaten at least 1-2 times a week. In the presence of heart disease (ischemia), the doctor may prescribe the use of 1 gram per day of fish oil for 2-3 weeks. Only with the consent of doctors, adults can take up to three grams per day of fish oil capsules.

Since fish may also contain harmful substances, in addition to useful omega 3, 9 and other compounds, they should be taken in rational dosages.

Women during pregnancy and lactation can take no more than 180-200 grams of fish per week. For toddlers, 60 grams per week of fish products is recommended.