July 24, 2019

Do we really need omega 3 supplements?

Imagine a world without pollution, without the scare of pesticides in our fruits and vegetables, without the harmful UV rays that penetrate into our skin and cells, a world without worries of salmonella, H1N1 or ecoli. Essentailly a world without stress.

In this world, would we still need omega fats like EPA and DHA?

The answer is yes. Just like having clean air to breathe and pure energized water, our bodies also needs omega 3 and 6 fats for our bodies to be in good working health.

These two omega fats – 3 and 6, are essential fatty acids. Essential meaning they are required for life and that our bodies cannot produce it

But I eat fish, isn’t this enough?

Fish is an excellent source of omega 3 – but only in a perfect world.

With wild fish there is concern over mercury and other heavy metals. Fatty fish have four times more mercury than regular fish but fatty fish is also where omega 3 is found.

While with farmed fish because they are kept in an enclosed area called aquacultures, farmed fish usually pick up a lot more contaminants than wild fish, mainly PCB’s which have been strongly linked to cancer. Farmed fish have very poor nutrition and often need to be fed omega 3 supplements so in fact they are a good source of omega 3. However, they are also fed a high fat diet to fatten them up quickly which also contains saturated fats.

Farmed fish’s omega 3 levels are in fact higher than wild fish however their saturated fat is three times higher than wild fish.

Though fish can be a good source of omega 3, is it worth it to ingest these PCB’s chemicals and saturated fat just to get enough omega 3?

1-2 times a week of fish is fine (I myself prefer wild) but to eat fish in order to get enough omega 3, well that is something you should think about.

What about other food sources? Like seeds, eggs and beef?

Seeds like flax, chia, eggs and beef were traditionally a good source of omega 3. However similar to that of fish, because our foods no longer contain enough omega 3 and simply because we don’t eat properly and in a balanced way, to only obtain enough omega 3’s & 6’s from food would be difficult.

From 1950, our omega 3 consumption has dropped 16%
There is also an imbalance of omega 6’s; either too much or consuming rancid omega 6 oils like sunflower oil, canola oil, vegetable oils, in cookies, pasta and chips.

And so my conclusion is that we don't just need omega fats, we are in desperate need of omega fats to keep our bodies running and healthy.

Safe and Sustainable Sources of Omega 3 Supplements

Ideally for both sustainability and health a plant based omega 3 like Udo’s Oil Omega 3.6.9 Oil Blend that contains a mix of seeds that naturally provide ALA, EPA and DHA which are all omega 3’s is a good place to start. (To understand more about ALA, EPA and DHA, read more here). This oil blend with all omega 3 nutrients would be a good base to work from like a basic food group for your cells.

From there, you can choose to alternate or add in Udo’s Oil Blend with DHA to ensure that you are getting a direct source of DHA or a sustainably sourced which would be able to ensure a source of EPA and DHA.

In Summary

If omega 3 and 6 are nutrients are bodies need in order to keep functioning, and if our lifestyle depletes them and our food sources cannot provide the adequate amount, then adding a quality omega 3 supplement into your lifestyle is not only beneficial but should be a necessity.