Omega 3 fatty acids belong to the group of unsaturated fatty acids. They are vital for humans and very healthy, as they can prevent various diseases. In the past, omega 3 fatty acids were also called vitamin F. Omega 3 fatty acids are found especially in seafood and sea fish.
Wirkunsgweise of omega 3 fatty acids
In order to meet the daily requirement of omega 3 fatty acids, it is recommended to eat mainly fish in the form of tuna, mackerel or even salmon. The body can produce many substances it needs to function. Omega 3 fatty acids are unfortunately not one of them. They belong to the essential fatty acids that must be ingested through food. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in both plant and animal foods and occur in various forms. However, there are three particularly important omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. All three are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are found primarily in fatty sea fish. Omega 3 fatty acids play a particularly important role for the brain. Almost 40% of the fatty acids there are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). But omega 3 fatty acids are also extremely important for vision. More than two-thirds of the fatty acids in the retina are DHA.
Importance for health and sports
But omega 3 fatty acids are not only needed in the head area. They also have a positive effect on cholesterol levels, for example. An increased supply of omega 3 fatty acids ensures that the blood fat values improve enormously. A prerequisite for this, however, is that the amount of saturated fatty acids is reduced at the same time. In patients with elevated blood pressure, good results have also been achieved through the targeted use of omega-3 fatty acids. A blood pressure in the normal range lowers the risk of developing cardiovascular problems enormously. However, people with normal blood pressure need to consume more than five grams of omega 3 fatty acids daily for the trend to be downward. Nevertheless, healthy people should also consume more omega 3 fatty acids, especially if they do a lot of sports. Omega 3 fatty acids dilate the blood vessels so that the blood can flow quickly and freely. Oxygen and sugar thus reach the muscles more quickly, which can lead to an increase in athletic performance. Omega 3 acids are also used as a support for drug treatment in some diseases. Especially with chronic inflammations such as psoriasis or arthritis, an improvement could be achieved through the increased consumption of omega 3 fatty acids.
Occurrence in food
To meet the daily requirement of omega 3 fatty acids, it is recommended to consume mainly fish in the form of tuna, mackerel or even salmon. A vegetarian option is to take supplements that contain a high dose of omega 3 fatty acids. The daily requirement can also be met with numerous oils, such as walnut or soybean oil. However, oils contain only a precursor of omega-3 fatty acids. However, the body can produce omega 3 fatty acids from these building blocks. It must be remembered that the amount of omega 3 fatty acids consumed will be considerably less than that of a fish meal. Another vegetarian source of omega 3 fatty acids is flaxseed. The unsaturated fatty acids are also present in oil made from them. In order to cover one’s daily requirement of omega 3 fatty acids, it is not necessary to consume large quantities of the specified foods. The body needs 0.5 grams of the unsaturated fatty acids per day in order to function properly. Depending on the type of fish, 10 to 100 grams are perfectly sufficient. With oils, it is correspondingly less, which is why a combination of fish and oil is recommended. Food supplements, on the other hand, cover the daily requirement of omega 3 fatty acids exactly and reliably.
