Omega 3 fatty acids are important compounds within our bodies. They can have numerous health benefits and help your body and your brain. However, you are may not be not taking enough of them. In order to be healthy and stay informed, you should read this article to learn more about omega 3 benefits.
What are the Health Benefits of Omega 3?
As mentioned, omega-3 fatty acids are vital to our well-being. They hold many benefits to our body and our brain and they have been thoroughly researched, even more so than other compounds.
Here are some benefits of omega-3 fatty acids:
Fight depression and anxiety and people who consume omega-3s on a regular basis are less likely to be depressed. When people with depression or anxiety start taking omega-3s, they start to feel better.
Improve eye health, especially the DHA type because it’s one of the main components of retina. Without enough of DHA, you may get some vision problems. It’s also linked to one of the leading causes of permanent eye damage.
Promote brain health in pregnancy and early life and they are a crucial part of infant development. Infants who take DHA omega-3s have better eyesight than those who don’t. They are also related to higher intelligence, better social skills, less behavioral problems, no developmental delay, reduced risk of ADHD and autism.
Improve heart conditions and risk factors for heart disease. Fish-eating communities have low rates of heart attacks and diseases and this was linked to omega-3’s. They can help with triglycerides reduction, blood pressure and blood clots reduction, increase of good cholesterol, plaque decrease, reduced inflammation and so on.
Reduce ADHD symptoms in children. Children with ADHD were found to have less omega-3s than children with ADHD. Omega-3 supplements have also been helpful in reducing ADHD symptoms.
Reduce symptoms of metabolic syndrome which includes belly fat, blood pressure, insulin resistance, triglycerides and so on. It’s a concern because it can develop into other diseases after a while.
Great at fighting inflammation which is a natural response to infection as well as damage to our bodies. But it sometimes persists and it needs something to reduce it. Omega 3 fatty acids can help with this and reduce inflammation.
Good at fighting autoimmune diseases. People who take it early in life can have less autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis.
Improve mental disorders and prevent mood swings, especially with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and similar disorders. It can reduce the numbers of violent episodes
They can fight mental decline and Alzheimer’s and prevent some symptoms of these issues. This is especially true at the outset of the disease.
Prevent cancer and people who take omega-3 have a lower risk of colon cancer, prostate and breast cancer.
They can reduce asthma in children and young adults.
Reduce the amount of fat from your liver. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce liver fat and inflammation.
They can improve bone and joint health, especially conditions like osteoporosis or arthritis as these are the most common skeletal system disorders.
Can help with menstrual pain – in fact, women who have consumed the most omega-3s had less menstrual pain, according to a study.
They can improve your sleep since lacking omega-3s can cause sleep problems.
Good for your skin as they can offer you smooth and supple skin that doesn’t wrinkle as much.
How Long Does it Take for Omega 3 to Work?
There are some important key factors to omega-3 supplements and you need to address:
- Dosage
- Freshness
- Range of nutrients
How long it takes for omega 3 to work is going to depend on these three factors.
Proper dosage – This is the most important factor when considering will omega 3 work for you. It’s full of EPA and DHA fatty acids which do plenty of work. To truly make a difference in your health it will take about 2,000 to 3,000 mg of fish oil with EPA and DHA combined. You should take it regularly with food and you will have to wait anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks to see it work. When you look at your omega-3 supplement, see if there is enough of mg of both EPA and DHA. Either change your product or take more capsules. Some conditions will even take 4,000 mg a day to work properly. Increase your intake of fish and pay attention to fish species. Don’t go above 5,000 mg.
Freshness of your oil – It’s very important to take fresh omega-3 oil. Unfortunately, you will see many bad omega-3 oils. They usually go bad before the time of purchase. If it does it will oxidize and decrease some of the most important components your omega 3 oil. Bad oil can also have a negative effect on your body, causing high cholesterol levels and so on. Smell it and taste it before using.
Omega 3 Benefits for Your Brain
Omega 3 fatty acids have numerous health benefits, one of the biggest being the benefit for the brain. These acids are polyunsaturated fat and its responsible for mental health. Omega-3 contains EPA and DHA. They create cell membranes and reduce inflammation in the body. They also develop the cardiovascular system and brain in infants.
Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial in normal brain function and development. Both EPA and DHA are important in developing the brain of a baby. Fish intake with pregnant women has shown amazing abilities in improving the baby’s health.
They are also very important for normal brain function in general. It can help with memory loss and various brain issues.
Alzheimer's is a common type of dementia that hits elderly adults. Omega-3 are thought to be helpful in preventing Alzheimer's.
Omega-3s are great for depression as well as many other mental disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. People who have already taken antidepressants can expect the most benefits from omega 3s.
Observational studies have shown that fish oil and omega-3s help maintain good brain function. Further, taking it could be a preventative measure and something that you do for your brain in the future as it can certainly do no harm.
What are the Symptoms of Lack of Omega 3?
Omega 3s are fatty acids we get from our food, namely fish and nuts and seeds. There are many benefits to the body and mind as you can see in the points above. However, if you don’t take them, you can get many serious issues.
Here are some of those issues:
Dry skin – Omega-3 fatty acids can help your skin stay moist and supple while lack of it would cause you many issues like scaly and flaky skin and similar issues.
Lifeless hair – Lack of omega-3s can also cause a decrease in your hair texture and quality.
Brittle nails – Since hair and skin are suffering, it only makes sense for your nails to suffer too. You will experience soft, peeling and brittle nails because of omega-3 deficiency.
Insomnia – Omega-3s are so crucial to healthy brain and a lack of them can cause insomnia. Take plenty of these to experience better sleep.
Poor focus – Again, since omega-3s are important to the brain, you can expect that a lack of them will certainly cause a lack of concentration. A daily dose is needed for improved concentration.
Tiredness – While there can be many causes, fatigue can happen because of the lack of the omega-3s in your body. It is a common symptom of omega-3 deficiency and you need to check before taking supplements.
Joint pain – Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory and as such can help your joint pain. But if there is a lack of them, you can increase your joint pain.
Does Omega 3 Help with Anxiety and Depression?
Recent studies have shown that omega-3s can be a great solution and remedy for anxiety and depression because of its strong connection to the brain.
People often resort to medications that will help them in the short-term but some remedies like omega-3 can help in the long-term. It’s also great because it’s healthy for your whole body and doesn’t cause any dependence.
Research has shown that there is a relationship between omega-3s levels and anxiety in humans. For example, anxiety disorders are often related to lower levels of omega-3s in the body. Omega-3 supplements have been successful in reducing inflammation and helping with anxiety. They have examined the effects of omega-3 levels in anxious participants and a difference has been noticed between people who have substantial levels of omega-3 and those who have low levels.
But omega-3s need to be tested further before they can be used exclusively for these purposes.
Omega-3s are important elements to our well-being. We need to get into habit of consuming them more as this can mean better health for us and less health issues.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3#section18
https://omega3innovations.com/blog/how-much-omega-3-fish-oil-daily-will-produce-results/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/omega-3-fish-oil-for-brain-health#section6
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