Part Two
SCIENTISTS are linking Omega-3 fats to far-reaching benefits, ranging from a healthy heart to a radiant skin. Consider increasing your daily intake of these healthy fats. Read about 15 health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids according to science, in this post from Jen Reviews, and 15 best omega-3 foods.
You may have heard about Omega-3 fatty acids before but you may not quite understand what it is or why we need it? Omega-3 is an essential fat the body is incapable of making naturally. That means that we have to get it from the foods and supplements that we put into our body.
Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fat, which basically means that it is one of the “good fats.” Polyunsaturated fats are natural and healthy, whereas saturated fats or “bad fats” are found in highly processed foods and can lead to unfavorable health complications when consumed in large amounts and over a long period of time.
10 Omega-3 fatty acids protect and improve brain health during pregnancy. Taking Omega-3 supplements or including Omega-3 dense foods in your diet during pregnancy is not only good for the expecting mother, but for the baby, too.
In fact, it is recommended that pregnant women and breastfeeding women get at least 500 mg of Omega-3 a day. Pregnant and lactating women should be getting their Omega-3 from supplements, as well as through their diets.
The DHA in Omega-3 fatty acids support brain growth, as well as the development of the eyes and nervous system, which is particularly important during fetal growth. Omega-3 is crucial to the development of a fetus’ nervous system. The EPA in Omega-3 is good for the heart and immune system.
The benefits of Omega-3 for babies continues after birth and is often prescribed to women who are breast feeding, as it boosts the development of breast milk.
11 Omega-3 fatty acids counters inflammation. When you are injured in some way, may you have an infected wound or a splinter; you will notice the skin around your injury puff up and become warm and red. This is inflammation at work. Inflammation is your immune system working to correct a problem within your body.
Chemicals originating in white blood cells are released and make their way to the wounded or infected area in the body. The problem is that sometimes too much of this chemical is produced. When that happens, inflammation starts to affect healthy tissue.
Inflammation can sometimes even dangerously affect your organs. This usually happens as result of an autoimmune disease. The organs most likely to be affected are the kidneys, lungs and heart. Some signs to look out for are:
- Shortness of breath;
- Kidney failure; and
- Fluid retention.
Omega-3 is good for countering excess inflammation, especially when coupled with certain anti-inflammatory medications.
Diet can be very beneficial when it comes to avoiding excess inflammation. Some foods to avoid are Omega-6 rich foods, highly processed carbohydrates and high-sugar foods.
Lack of sleep, irregular exercise and high levels of stress can also negatively contribute to excess inflammation.
12 Omega-3 fatty acids fight autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is an illness where your immune system mistakes healthy cells for foreign cells. It then begins to attack the healthy cells. This action can result in any of a number of autoimmune-related diseases. Some signs that your immune system is not working the way it should include:
- Joint and or muscle pain;
- Insomnia;
- Intolerance to heat;
- Sudden weight loss;
- Rapid heart beat;
- Dry mouth;
- Hair loss;
- Severe abdominal pain and blood present in stool; and
- Arthritis, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and lupus are a few of the autoimmune diseases that Omega-3 fatty acids can help soothe.
Omega-3 fatty acids have the biggest impact on autoimmune diseases of all fatty acids available. Studies have shown the taking Omega-3 alleviates pain and inflammation related to autoimmune disease and has in some cases lessened the amount of medication patients needed.
Autoimmune hepatitis is a condition where the liver becomes inflamed. It can be caused by alcohol abuse, excess fat in the liver or contracting the hepatitis C or B virus. When your liver becomes infected and inflamed your body will start to produce prostaglandin I and II, which send white blood cells to the infected liver and decrease inflammation. Omega-3 is key in prostaglandin I production.
Taking fish-oil supplements are recommended for the most effective results when using Omega-3 to fight autoimmune diseases.
13 Omega-3 fatty acids improve sleep patterns. A recent study involving nearly 400 children between the ages of seven and nine has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids can have a huge impact on getting a good night’s rest. Children who received the Omega-3 supplements slept on average for over an hour longer and had far fewer sleep disturbances than the children who received the placebo.
Studies on the full scope of Omega-3 for sleep patterns in adults are under way.
The DHA in Omega-3 spurs on the release of higher levels of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone responsible for regulating sleep.
Maintaining a regular sleep pattern is crucial for adults and children alike. When you are asleep, your brain repairs and regenerates your neurotransmitters, which is how cells in your brain communicate.
Getting enough sleep also helps balance weight (children who get less sleep are often overweight and at risk for diabetes), promotes growth and protects against vascular damage, which is caused by the circulation of stress hormones.
It is recommended to eat at least two servings of fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna or swordfish, a week to help regulate your sleep cycle through Omega-3.
14 Omega-3 fatty acids help with symptoms of ADHD. ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a chronic condition where neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) fail to send signals between nerve cells. Dopamine, the chemical responsible for concentration, is mostly affected by ADHD.
Nearly 6 percent of school-going-aged children are said to suffer from ADHD. ADHD is usually diagnosed during childhood but that persists into adulthood. While symptoms do sometimes change as a person matures, the effects of ADHD can be lifelong.
Children with ADHD (either the inattentive-type or hyperactive-type) are often viewed as simply misbehaving, when in reality a lot of children will need the help of medication in order to be able to focus.
Children who exhibit any of these signs may be living with ADHD:
- Very easily distracted;
- Always moving or squirming when seated;
- Daydreams often;
- Loses things regularly;
- Talks excessively;
- Always running around and climbing things;
- Has trouble completing tasks; and
- Interrupts people often.
A study on the effect of Omega-3 was carried out in the Netherlands on a group of young boys diagnosed with ADHD. The boys consumed Omega-3 enriched foods every day for 16 weeks. At the end of the trial the boys’ parents reported a marked reduction in attention problems.
Many times, however, children go undiagnosed and grow up still unaware of their condition. About 60 percent of children with ADHD will still have ADHD as adults. Symptoms of ADHD in adults can be a little different:
- Difficulty in initiating tasks;
- Procrastination;
- Very poor time management and task handling;
- Quick temper;
- Impatient and very easily bored;
- Hyper focusing on certain tasks; and
- Impatient.
Omega-3 fatty acids are so beneficial in treating ADHD in children and adults because in an ADHD affected brain, nerve cells block the flow of dopamine and the chief component of these nerve cells are fatty acids.
Adult males that took part in a study testing Omega-3 fatty acids on adult ADHD in Italy reported an increase in attention span and a decrease in general moodiness.
15 Omega-3 Fatty acids can be beneficial to persons living with asthma. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition caused by inflammation and narrowing of the airways and bronchospasms (when the muscle walls of the bronchioles suddenly contract). Chest tightness, wheezing, a whistling sound when breathing, shortness of breath and coughing are all characteristics of asthma.
When you have asthma, your airways are constantly inflamed. When the walls of your airways become swollen, muscles tighten and trigger an onset of symptoms.
You can also have allergic asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. The former is asthma symptoms brought on by an allergic reaction to pollen and the latter is brought on by physical exercise.
The inflammation that causes asthma can be brought on by ingesting too much Omega-6. Omega-3 fatty acids work to minimize the inflammation in the airways, thus reducing symptoms. Also consider getting the best air purifier for asthma to help alleviate symptoms.
A Western diet can be saturated with Omega-6 rich food (vegetable oils, margarine, pork products and mayonnaise) so we must be mindful to include Omega-3 full foods.
Source: www.bewellbuzz.com