Many people know that they need omega-3 fatty acids to prevent heart attacks, and that they can get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from fish. But most people don’t know that the omega-3 fatty acids in seeds like flaxseeds and whole grains may be even more important for maintaining your health than the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.
Omega-3 fatty acids are the least stable fats in our diet. Whole grains contain plenty of vitamin E to keep the omega-3s fresh and prevent them from going rancid, but the omega-3 fatty acids in fish are not protected by vitamin E and therefore go rancid much more quickly than omega-3 fatty acids from fish. whole grains
Three large studies, The Lyon Heart Study, GISSI Prevenzione Trial and The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Study have established that omega-3 fish oils help prevent heart attacks and reduce pain and swelling in conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis and possibly even asthma. Recent research shows that the omega-3 alpha linoleic acids in seeds, nuts, beans, and whole grains may be just as necessary as the omega-3s in fish oils to prevent heart attacks.
The omega-3s found in fish oils are mostly long-chain fatty acids. The omega-3s from plants, especially the seeds, contain much shorter chains and are weaker than the omega-3s found in fish. However, the shorter-chain omega-3s, particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in leafy green vegetables and seeds, are converted to long-chain fatty acids in the human body. Long-chain omega-3s from fish enter the blood and cells faster and produce faster effects than short-chain omega-3s from plants.
In the long run, humans must get their omega-3s from plants as well as fish, because all omega-3s break down very quickly when exposed to oxygen in your body, and you need large amounts of vitamin E to keep them from breaking down. the omega-3s going rancid. Fish oils are extremely low in vitamin E, while virtually all seed or plant sources of omega-3s also have vitamin E. Therefore, your body stores much more short-chain omega-3s from plants in your body fat. .
Dietary fats are classified by their chemical structure as saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. Polyunsaturated fats are subclassified into omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats form prostaglandins that cause clotting, thickening of the blood and constriction of the arteries that lead to heart attacks.
On the other hand, omega-3 polyunsaturated fats prevent heart attacks and high blood pressure by helping to thin the blood, relax the arteries, and prevent clotting. For millions of years, humans have consumed a diet that contained roughly equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, but over the past 150 years, humans have increased their omega-6 intake by extracting vegetable oils from seeds. corn, sunflower, safflower, cotton and soybean.
These oils are used in most prepared foods, frozen foods, margarines, chips, French fries, and baked goods. Today, Americans eat a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids that is nearly 20 times higher in omega-6 than in omega-3, rather than the traditional ratio of approximately 2:1. This abnormally high intake of omega-6s blocks arteries and causes inflammation throughout the body. To meet your needs for short-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in plants, eat plenty of green leafy vegetables and seeds such as flaxseed, whole grains, beans, and nuts.
