Omega 3 can lower your risk of developing eye diseases. If you have eye problem, read this.
*Note: Scroll down to find fish oil benefits and sources of omega 3.
Do fats really make you fat?
Giving you a fat belly is not what all fatty acids can do. Fatty acids (ie. Omega 3 oil) are actually important building blocks that your body needs in order to maintain healthy body and its function.
"What no way!" you say? Fascinating isn't it?
*On a little side note here, for those of you on a diet plan, eating less fat will not make you lose weight. You must expend (use up) more calories than you take in (eat). Simple, isn't it?
The cells, tissues, muscles, nerves, and organs of our body need fatty acids in order to function properly. Fat is also required for our bodies to produce hormones that are essential for growth, reproduction, etc and we cannot survive without them.
For example, the precious male organ "down there" is what makes man what they are. It produces testosterone, which works to develop manly features (voice, muscle, etc).
And what does it need for testosterone to be produced?
You guessed it! Fatty acids. Not only that, fatty acids are also required for the production of female hormone, or estrogen, which gives feminine features in a person.
Our body uses fatty acids in many other ways as well. For example, fat surrounds the entire eye ball and allows the eyeball to rotate smoothly.
However, not all fats are beneficial. Some fats like trans-fat and saturated fat really do just make you fat and unhealthy. Diabetes Control and Complications Trial found that over 1000 patients with type 1 diabetes slowed the progression of retinopathy by 33.2% when they consumed a low saturated fat diet - they consumed less than 10% of their daily calories from saturated fat, and less than 30% of calories from total fat.
Hm, so although they are all fatty acids, there are some good ones and bad ones. It's kind of like people isn't it? Some people are just adorable and innocent little angels, and some just cause destruction upon the earth each step they take!
What is Omega 3
Some healthy fatty acids are called essential fatty acids (EFAs) ? EFAs cannot be produced by our bodies, therefore we must consume these important fats from our diet.
Omega 3 oil, or often called fish oil, is one type of EFAs that benefits the health of our eyes. Omega-3 fatty acid DHA is highly concentrated in the retina of our eyes and we must consume omega 3 oil in order nourish them.
Essential fatty acids are crucial for the development of proper vision in infants. EFAs also help drain
eye fluids which regulates intraocular pressure.
What are the fish oil benefits?
One of the main source of Omega 3 oil is from fish. Studies have shown that consumption of these healthy oils may lower the risk of heart disease, retinopathy, and the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (Study in Australia and US involving over 2,200 people (average age was 64), in 2005).
Some studies with animals showed that a mere 2% increase in the intake of omega-3 oil reduced retinopathy by 50%.
Fascinating, isn't it?! A mere 2% has so much effect! However, keep in mind that human bodies are the same as animals, so the benefits of fish oil may be higher or lower for us.
Besides helping to prevent eye diseases, there are even more fish oil benefits.
A 5 year study in Harvard concluded that diet containing foods rich in antioxidants, particularly, lutein and zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids have reduced the possibility of forming AMD as well as cataracts.
I’ve read in one of Maclean’s Article, “Keep your eyes with help from a fish” that people who consumed 3 portions of oily fish (that are high in omega 3) per week has reduced as much as 70% risk for developing AMD.
Other studies show that a combination of omega 3 and vitamin C may reduce the risk of forming glaucoma. Participants of this study consumed 500mg of vitamin C two to three times daily.
As we can see, there are many fish oil benefits for our eyes. To let you in on a secret, I like to gauge out the eyes of mackerel and eat them (after they are cooked ofcourse!). Grossed out much? Don't be! Fish eyes have some good nutrients in there too!
Vegetarian Sources of Omega 3 oil
Fear not, people who only eat vegetables!
There are many, many excellent sources of omega 3 in vegetarian foods that gives similar fish oil benefits. After all, all the nutrients that are in meat first originated from plant nutrients.
One of the best and the most popular plant sources of omega 3 oil is Flax seed (linseed). Flax seed has the highest concentration of omega 3 oil among its plant competitors.
Other sources include leafy green vegetables such as spinach. Never thought plant leaves have oil in them did you? Neither did I, until I did my research.
Nuts such as walnuts, brazil nuts, hazel nuts, and pecans are some excellent nuts that contain omega 3 oil. The next time someone calls you a nut, take it as a compliment! You are full of nutritious omega 3 oil!
As a healthy snack, I like to take a bowl full of mixed nuts and seeds and eat them throughout the day.
Some other sources include sesame seeds and tahini (a sesame seed paste that is popularly used as a dipping sauce), soya bean oil, canola oil, rapeseed oil, egg yolk with added omega 3.
Now we cannot forget fish oil/ omega 3 oil supplements. However, despite its benefits, you can overdose on supplements. Consuming too much omega 3 in supplement form can lead to undesirable results.
Source of Fish Oil
What is a good source of fish oil? You've guessed it, fish!
However, not all fish is a good source of omega 3, nor does it have fish oil benefits.
Some of the top source fish include salmon, sardine, cod, herring, and mackerel.
To sum it up, I've used a handy dandy program called Microsoft Excel to create table that lists the sources mentioned above.
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