Omega essential fatty acids are essential to sustain human life. Most people have omega-3 deficiencies due to inadequate dietary intake as is found in natural forms like cold-water fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines. Omega-3 is especially important for heart health, lowering cholesterol levels, optimising immune functions, assisting your endocrine (hormonal) and nervous systems and further ensuring optimal joint, bone, hair and skin physiology.
Modern Western diets mainly contain high dosages of omega-6 fatty acids in the form of linoleic acid, with very small quantities of omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. linseed or flax seed oil). This imbalance places a physiological burden on the human body. It is therefore important to supplement the human diet with EPA and DHA (omega-3 fatty acids) in the form of cold-water fish oil (i.e. salmon). To take in a sufficient quantity in the diet alone, you would need to consume 1 kg of oily fish (e.g. sardines, salmon, trout, mackerel) a week.
Functions of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids:
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Essential fatty acids (EFAs) maintain fluidity of all cell membranes. This ensures fluid, nutrient and oxygen mobilisation in and out of our body cells.
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EFAs assist red blood cells in transporting oxygen to our vital ogans.
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They also prevents the platelet clumping and blood vessel clotting, as is seen in atherosclerosis, after heart attacks and stroke, thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
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EFAs aid in suppressing the inflammatory process and are therefore useful after injury, in people with contact dermatitis, arthritis and other joint infections.
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Omega-3 is useful in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients, decreasing the harmful LDL-cholesterol and increasing the beneficial HDL-cholesterol.
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EFAs form part of the phospholipid structure of cell membranes. This is an important function of EFAs as part of fluid transfer through cell membranes, electrolyte balance, hormone function and the immune function.
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Some of the omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA, are also precursors of prostaglandins.
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EPA and DHA play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (i.e. hypertension, high LDL-cholesterol, stroke and heart attack).
