Want to live longer? Take Omega-3.
Over this past week, I listened to a podcast from Joe Rogan interviewing Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a Ph.D. specialist in biochemical sciences who focuses on nutrition and health. By the time I finished listening, I was most blown away by her insights on Omega supplementation…
So, I decided to keep looking into different studies associated with Omega’s properties and deep-dive into this underrated world of holistic health (Which was pretty crazy for me to do, but totally worth it).
This is how I created a quick guide to omega in the human body; hope you enjoy it.
First off, let me point out that there are actually 2 different types of Omegas that the human body lives off of. You have Omega 3 and Omega 6, which work to balance each other out.
However, balance is hard due to the Western diet that has been normalized all around the world. Given that it is based on foods that carry excessive amounts of Omega 6 including poultry, eggs, and corn oils amongst other highly popular meals that the majority of the global population eats.
This is probably why if you have ever heard of Omega supplements, they are more likely associated with Omega 3, not 6. When thinking about how omegas balance out across the body I came across the following fact: The main purpose of omega 6 in the human body is to cause inflammation.
Inflammation?!
No, that doesn’t mean that eating omega 6 will make you swell all around your body.
It just means that the main role of Omega 6 is to activate enzymes (sets of proteins) that promote saturated fats and fatty acids which can protect the heart when eaten moderately.
P.S. Medically speaking, being inflamed and swollen aren’t even close to being synonymous terms.
So, although Omega 6 is vital for human function, the culture of the western diet can easily push you into reaching the extreme side of Omega 6 consumption, triggering blood clots and malformation of blood vessels.
But don’t worry… this is when Omega 3 comes in handy.
THE SCIENCE:
We talked about balance right? Turns out that Omega 3’s main purpose is to be an anti-inflammatory component to the body.
Commonly found in salmon, sardines, flaxseeds, and chia seeds amongst others, once ingested, Omega 3 is broken down into three different components inside the body:
ALA
DHA
EPA
These are the three main types of chemicals that are found inside Omega 3; all of them serve as anti-inflammatory substances, but each one of them is focused on a specific part of the human body.
DHA is focused on the anti-inflammatory process of the brain.
Prompts growth and functional development of a child’s brain.
DHA is focused on the activation of rapid responses like the eyes, heart, and brain.
EPA is centered around the body’s anti-inflammatory process, primarily in the gut lining of your stomach.
Focuses on having a healthy immune response and decreasing the aches, pains, and swelling in limbs.
ALA is considered an essential fatty acid, which means it’s a fatty acid that your body cannot make. Therefore, it can only be consumed through food and beverage.
Helps lower blood sugar levels
Including Omega -3 in your everyday diet can be hard; however, omega-3 supplementation is an easy method that assures you get the necessary milligrams of the component in your diet regardless of your regular eating habits.
BOTTOM LINE:
Including Omega - 3 supplementation is an effective method to regulate inflammation in your body. The anti-inflammatory properties of Omega-3, grant both long and short-term benefits to the human body.
Think about it, nowadays the main way scientists and medics can predict a human’s lifespan is directly connected to the level of inflammation that one has on a cellular level.
… and guess what?! Cellular inflammation is controlled by omega 3.
This makes sense when you look at countries where fatty fish like salmon are part of popular culture. Oftentimes these are nations that are home to the population of humans with the longest, healthiest lives.
I hope this helps you have a better understanding of how our body functions, and the importance of Omega - 3 in our diet.
