Omega-3 fatty acids : Are you getting enough of it?

Today, I would like to talk about fat. Yes, fat. The macro nutrient which people are avoiding more and more, thinking that eating a high fat diet will enable them to get fatter. Well, of course eating high fat diet will not make you fat, but i will not write about fat related diet in this post, but I will discuss and share the importance and facts about this super healthy fat molecule. 

Let's start off  with Japanese diet. It’s been proven time and again that omega-3 fats are excellent for your heart health. There are studies which show that diet high in omega-3, such as the Japanese, have lower rates of heart disease among them. That is, Japanese people living in Japan. Japanese people who live in the United States have many of the same heart issues as Americans. Why? Because their diets are Americanized. 

Animal based omega-3 fats, which come largely from fish and fish oils, are not eaten in abundance in the United States and other western based diet nations. What is eaten in abundance are omega-6 fats, which come from vegetable oils like corn, soy, and canola. People in my country as well, consumed too much of this fat, these oils mainly had turn rancid before we even try to use it for cooking. We've got an imbalance ratio of omega-3 and 6 in our diet. While most people are seriously lacking in omega-3, they are overdoing omega-6. 

The typical Western ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is 20:1. To reach optimal health, the ratio should be closer to 1:1. Because the Japanese eat so much fish, their ratio is about 3:1. When omega-6 fats predominate in your diet, as is common in countries such as US and Malaysia, this encourages the production of inflammation in your body. Since so many diseases have now been linked to chronic inflammation, this really is one of the most important nutrition concerns to get right.

If you are not yet taking a high quality, animal based omega-3 fat supplement every day, what are you waiting for? The science on this one is loud and clear. Omega-3 fats are essential for optimal health. Omega-3 in fish and seafood is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. Your brain is also highly dependent on DHA. Low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. 

Let's take a child or young kid for instance. I'm talking now about the association between child and ADHD. We know the food choices of most people today are incredibly poor, and you simply cannot expect a child to have normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, processed foods loaded with chemicals and genetically engineered ingredients, and juices and sodas instead of pure water. 

Children deficient in omega-3 had significantly higher incidence of hyperactivity, learning disorders, and behavioral problems. Part of the explanation for this is likely due to the fact that dopamine and serotonin both play a role in ADHD and other mood disorders, and your dopamine and serotonin receptors are composed of the animal based omega-3 fat DHA.

If you don't have sufficient amounts of DHA in your blood, then your dopamine or serotonin receptors end up using man-made trans fat molecules as a construction material instead. However, trans fats (damaged omega-6 fats) are shaped differently than DHA, as they are straight while DHA is curved. This causes your receptors to become deformed and not work very well.

Now, if this scenario is repeated day after day, year after year, you could easily wind up with problems like depression and problems concentrating. But this problem can be far more severe than that in a child whose brain is still developing, which is why a healthful diet during the prenatal and infant stage is so incredibly important. So, for future mums and mothers out there, pay serious attention to this one. 

Our modern diet contains an overabundance of highly processed, damaged omega-6 fats while being deficient in omega-3's. Researchers are now also linking inadequate intake of these omega-3 fats in pregnant women to premature birth and low birth weight, and to hyperactivity in children. Yet, most people fail to consume sufficient quantities of this essential fat. Even the mainstream health media now reports that lack of omega-3 is one of the most serious health issues plaguing contemporary society.

Not only are processed omega-6 fats harmful in and of themselves, but making matters even worse, they also interfere with your body's attempt to utilize the tiny amount of omega-3 fats that it gets. You simply cannot have a healthy functioning brain when the proper ingredients to develop or maintain a healthy brain are not provided, and animal based omega-3 fats are essential for a well-functioning brain.

Below are the signs of deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids. 

• Dyslexia
• Violence
• Depression
• Memory problems
• Weight gain
• Heart disease and cancer
• Eczema and allergies
• Inflammatory diseases and arthritis
• dry skin
• irritability
• dandruff
• attention deficit
• soft nails
• allergies
• fatigue
• dry unmanageable hair
• dry eyes
• poor wound healing
• learning problems
• frequent infections

Remember, the ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is about 1:1. But, our Western based diet, so chock full of processed fast food, has skewed this ratio to about 1:20 or even 1:50! I've got a female colleague whose favorite food is McDonalds. Hmm..I used to love fast food years back too, until I discovered the damage done to my body and health almost a decade ago. 

Right now, I provide you the benefits of this super healthy fat molecule as below:

• Antiarrhythmic- counteracting or preventing cardiac arrhythmia
• Antithrombotic- tending to prevent thrombosis (a blood clot within a blood vessel)
• Antiatherosclerotic- preventing fatty deposits and fibrosis of the inner layer of your arteries from forming
• Anti-inflammatory- counteracting inflammation (heat, pain, swelling, etc.)
• Improves endothelial function- a major factor in promoting the growth of new blood vessels
• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers triglyceride concentrations

You can shift your ratio by consuming more omega-3 fats, which actually promote the production of substances that fight inflammation, while also cutting down on omega-6 fats in vegetable oils. People always ask me, which is a good source of omega-3? Well, read my previous post about fish oil and omega-3. In my honest opinion, krill oil is my number one preference, because it does not bio-accumulate as much heavy metals as normal fish oils. In fact, it almost DO NOT contains any toxins or heavy metals at all. Krill oil has a very powerful antioxidant called astaxanthin, a unique marine-source flavonoid, and does not oxidize as easy as fish oil. This antioxidant prevents both DHA and EPA from becoming rancid and has other health benefits as well.


Many insist that omega-3 from plant based sources are interchangeable with animal-based omega-3 (EPA and DHA), but this is simply not the case. Plant based omega-3 fats are highly beneficial and should also be consumed, but the evidence is very clear that they are not an acceptable substitute for animal based omega-3 fats.

This is primarily related to the fact that your body does not easily convert the ALA in plant based fats to the longer fats of EPA and DHA needed for brain and heart health. Some of the good sources of plant based omega-3 oils are flaxseed and hemp. But, if you have diabetes, are overweight, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or are elderly, your body has even more difficulty converting these fats.

Lastly, before I end this post, my advise to everyone is to consume a lot more omega-3 fats and lower your total omega-6 consumption. So, don’t wait until a health problem appears to start taking this advice seriously. Adding an omega-3 supplement to your daily diet is one of the simplest, and most powerful, things you can do for your health.