Top Five Omega - 3 Rich Foods

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I have been trying to studying up on Omega - 3 foods and it's benefits in my quest to eat healthier and help my family eat better. I just bought a book by Susan Allport called "The Queen of Fats" -Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them.

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Below is an excerpt from an article I recently read online. I found this information particularly helpful as a quick reference.

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What are Omega-3 Fats?

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Omega-3 fats are polyunsaturated fats that have been shown to provide enormous health benefits including protection against heart disease, anti-inflammatory properties and attention and behavioural improvements in children. Unfortunately, most North Americans are chronically deficient in these “good” fats. While the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is approximately 1:1, most of us have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 20:1 or 30:1. Omega-3 fats are called essential fats because they cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet.

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The top five food sources rich in omega-3 fats include:

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Cold-Water Fish – Cold-water fish sources such as salmon and tuna are a wonderful source of omega-3, protein, selenium and vitamin D. In order to reap the omega-3 benefits from eating cold-water fish and to keep toxicity levels low, choose lower mercury canned tuna instead of higher mercury white tuna and purchase Wild Atlantic salmon instead of farmed salmon. Other “safer” fish also include pollock, halibut, tilapia and shrimp. Eat a maximum of 12 ounces of fish sources per week (two meals). Stay away from shark, swordfish, ling mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.

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Ground Flaxseeds or Flaxseed Oil - Ground flaxseeds stay fresh and safe to eat for 90 days. Flaxseed oil can be used in salad dressings and stays fresh in the fridge for three months.

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Omega-3 Eggs - Omega-3 eggs are similar in look, taste, storage qualities and cooking versatility as normal eggs. The only difference between omega-3 eggs and normal eggs is that omega-3 eggs are produced by chickens that have been fed with alfalfa, corn, soybean and flaxseeds. As mentioned above, flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fats which has been shown to be beneficial to human health. In fact, an average-sized omega-3 egg contains approximately 320 mg of omega-3 while a regular egg contains approximately 63 mg of omega-3.

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Nuts – Almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans are wonderful crunchy additions to salads, yogurts, stir-fry or are delicious and nutritious on their own. Walnuts are especially high in precious omega-3 fats. In fact, ¼ cup of walnuts contains 2.3 grams of omega-3 fats, approximately 91% of the daily value needed for omega-3 essential fats. Walnuts are also a rich source of monounsaturated fat, an important fat necessary in improving cardiovascular health.

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Fish Oils – Although not technically a food, fish oil is one of the best ways to ensure you are getting a sufficient amount of omega-3 into your daily diet. Fish oils are especially beneficial as supplements considering dietary restrictions and recommendations of 12 ounces of fish per week. Even by including all the above omega-3 rich foods into the diet, it is still difficult to reach the necessary two to three grams of omega-3 daily requirements. When purchasing fish oils, make sure they are distilled and enteric-coated for maximum absorption and low-level toxicity.

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(This article was written by - Dr. Joey Shulman)