The Omega three oils, or what are sometimes known as the Omega three essential fatty acids, are important to good health. It is now recognized that a deficiency of the essential fatty acids in our diet can have serious health consequences. Many people are aware that more Omega three fats in your diet can help reduce your risk of heart attack. Less people are aware that they are also good food for the brain.
The Omega three oils are found in a number of different food sources, but primarily they are found in fish. They originate from sea algae, which is eaten by small fish, which are then eaten by larger fish, and those all-important essential fatty acids are passed up the food chain. When we eat fish we too consume our portion of those essential fatty acids.
However sadly not so many of us eat fish nowadays, we tend to eat more burgers and fries and pizzas than fish. And although fish is full of healthy fats, burgers, fries and pizzas are not. For this reason scientists have discovered that because of changes in our diet which has limited our intake of the fatty acids found in fish we are now more prone to various lifestyle diseases.
And science has also uncovered the fact that the development and operation of the brain is heavily reliant on an adequate supply of DHA, the most important of the Omega three oils, right throughout life.
The brain is made up a large percentage of fat, and a large percentage of that fat is DHA. Some scientists now postulate that the evolution of the human brain to the point where we became human beings was in large part a result of the presence of DHA.
The development of the brain begins during pregnancy, and DHA in particular, along with the other Omega three fats, has a very significant role in the development of the brain. This continues right through childhood, and there is significant evidence that children with learning difficulties may well experience improvements in these difficulties by increasing their intake of DHA.
Not only that but it is also now recognized that inadequate levels of DHA in the diet may lead to a range of mental problems including poor memory, depression and bipolar disorder, ADD and much more. Research has also suggested that at the other end of life a deficiency in the Omega three oils may well also contribute to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
The experts consider the likely explanation for why DHA is so important for the brain is that DHA has a significant role in the ability of the brain cells to transmit signals from one cell to the other through the cell wall. More DHA improves the ability of signals to pass from cell to cell thereby improving brain function.
And for these reasons there are many experts now cautioning pregnant women to ensure that they have an adequate supply of the Omega three oils in their diet, because it is only through the diet of the mother that the developing fetus is able to source that all-important DHA for itself. The body is not able to produce any of the essential fatty acids itself, and therefore they must all come from the diet.
For many years fish has been called “brain food”, and it is now becoming understood that there are good reasons why fish is good food for the brain. Sadly however it is becoming more difficult to add significant amounts of fish to our diet, both because fish is now commonly contaminated with Mercury and also because it is becoming extremely expensive.
However it’s quite possible to get cost-effective and completely clean high quality Omega three capsules which can be taken daily, and which can replace fish as good food for the brain.
However not all Omega three capsules are high quality, and care must be taken when choosing. To find out more visit my website.
Visit Peter’s website all about fish oil capsules to learn more about Omega 3 oils and the brain.
