Consume animal based omega-3 fatty acids too

Decades of research have established that omega-3 fats are essential to your overall health.

Omega-3 comes from both animal and plant sources. Krill (small shrimps or prawns) oil and fish oil are the major animal sources. Americans spend about 2.6 billion dollars on nutritional supplements and foods fortified with omega-3 fats.

Types of Omega-3 fats:

• Marine animals such as fish and krill provide eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are known to have protective effects on heart.
• Flaxseed, chia, hemp, and a few other foods, on the other hand, offer alpha-linoleic acid (ALA).

Most of the health benefits linked to omega-3 fats are linked to the animal-based EPA and DHA, not the plant-based ALA.

Furthermore, ALA is converted into EPA and DHA in your body at a very low ratio. It means that even if you consume large amounts of ALA, your body can only convert a relatively small amount into EPA and DHA, and only when there are sufficient enzymes. The problem appears big when we realize that many people are enzyme-deficient.

It doesn’t mean plant-based omega-3 fats are either harmful or should be avoided. However, including an animal-based omega-3 fat in your diet along with flax, chia or hemp in your diet will help, also for the following reasons:

• Omega-3 ranks is among the most important essential nutrients. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008 published three studies on the role of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids in the elderly.
• It was found that low concentrations of EPA and DHA resulted in an increased risk of death from all causes, as well as accelerated cognitive decline. The studies also suggest that a higher intake of omega-3s may bring certain health benefits that short-term supplementation cannot give.

Krill oil: good source of animal based omega-3 fat – why:

There are reasons to avoid use of fish oil and cod liver oil to improve omega-3 fats in your body – the vast majority of the fish supply is now heavily tainted with industrial toxins and pollutants, such as heavy metals, PCBs, and radioactive poisons. Due to these toxins eating fish is left to an individual decision. However, high-quality fish oils could have certainly provide the omega-3 but this oil is weak in antioxidants. This means that as you increase your omega-3 intake through fish oil consumption, you are actually increasing your need for added antioxidant protection. This happens because fish oil is a bit perishable, and oxidation leads to the formation of harmful free radicals. Antioxidants are therefore necessary to ensure that the fish oil doesn’t oxidize and become rancid in your body.

Cod liver oil, on the other hand, is not recommended because of the potential for problematic ratios of vitamins A and D. It often leads to vitamin A toxicity if not properly monitored.

However, krill oil is a preferred choice for animal-based omega-3 fats because its antioxidant potency is 48 times higher than fish oil. It also contains astaxanthin, a marine-source flavonoid that creates a special bond with the EPA and DHA to allow direct metabolism of the antioxidants, making them more bioavailable.

Always use high-quality krill oil to fulfill your requirements of omega-3 fats. It is a highly sustainable source being available in plenty. Krill oil appears to work at a lower dose, and this results in major cost savings, making it more affordable than fish oil.