Omega-3! Are you familiar with that? Maybe not but you are conversant with sardines. I guess as much, you are in the known with that also, you might have seen some supplements that claims their products have more omega-3 than some naturally existing things like sardine but when you go to check them properly, you will realize that their claims are off and they are just employing marketing for their products. It is in this light that I will be talking about Omega-3 extensively, so join me let’s discuss this fatty acid.
To survive we need to consume three organic molecules which are carbohydrates, protein, and fatty acids. It is under fatty acids infact under polyunsaturated fatty acid is where Omega-3 falls. Most fatty acid have a carboxyl group which is a carbon bonded into two oxygen and a hydrogen molecule. If the carboxyl group is attached to a carbon chain with single bonds, then they are referred to as a saturated fatty acid. Animal fat or your regular butter fall under this group.
If the carbon chain attached to the carboxyl group has a double bond, then it is an unsaturated fatty acid. If the carbon chain contains two or more double bond in the carbon chain, then it is poly unsaturated fat and this is where Omega-3 falls in. With Omega-3, the third carbon from the end is whrre the first double bond begins.
Now that you know this, let me explain the types of Omega-3 fatty acids and i will be explaining three. The first one with 22 carbon in the carbon chain and 6 double bonds is known as Decosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is important in cognitive development as well as eye development. In fact I got a drink that claims to have DHA in it.
image taken by my husband with my iPhone
The next has 20 carbon chains and 5 double bonds and it is known as Eicosapetaenoic acid (EPA). Its is important for heart health and heart functions. The third type of Omega-3 is Alpha Lenolnic acid (ALA) with 18 carbon chains and 3 double bonds. This is the shortest of the three omega-3 and it hasn’t been identified to help with much in the body but when consumed, it gets converted into DHA and EPA.
DHA and EPA are primary produced in Algae, Mollusks (shell fish), fishes (which are our main source of Omega-3) and sardines and salmons are one of the best fish type, they can also be gotten from animals that feed on grasses. For vegetarians, they can get ALA which would be converted to DHA and EPA from flax and Chia, legumes, walnuts, and brussels.
Majority of the time, when you see marketing on products claiming they have DHA and EPA especially higher than Sardine, there is a high chance they are talking about ALA which is what is converted at a 10% conversion rate. When next you go to the market to purchase food or groceries, when you see items claiming to have a high amount of Omega-3, be sure to identify if it is DHA, EPA, or ALA. If it is ALA, then you would need about 10 times the amount written on the pack to get the required amount of EPA and DHA.
For Further Studies
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17290-omega-3-fatty-acids
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-864/docosahexaenoic-acid-dha
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209320/
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/alpha-linolenic-acid
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people.
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