Choose your Food Wisely- The Best Omega 3 Rich Foods

Omega-3 fatty acids are the essential and good fatty acids for human body. But while these fatty acids are a must for human health, the body can’t produce them – it needs to be procured through food or food supplements. Omega -3 fatty acids have multi-dimensional health benefits like lowering blood pressure and risk of coronary heart disease, maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol and supporting joint health . Many researches have also linked Omega-3 intake with healthy skin and hair, brain health and lowering depression.

Integrating Omega -3 fatty acid into your daily diet is easy, especially when you know which foods are good sources of omega 3s. There are three different types of Omega-3s namely: DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).

The most common sources of DHA and EPA are various types of seafood like sardines and salmons. ALA, on the other hand, can be easily found in plant based foods especially in certain nuts and seeds.

Let’s now find out what foods are the best sources of Omega-3 and can be easily incorporated in day to day diet.

1. Mackerel All types of mackerels have high levels if fish fat higher-fat fish, rich in the beneficial polyunsaturated fats commonly known as long-chain omega-3s. This fish food is also very rich in nutrients like B12 and selenium.

2. Salmon Both wild and farmed salmon have high levels of Omega-3 and can be included in your daily diet chart as a health food. It is also an excellent source of high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals like potassium, selenium and vitamin B12.

3. Cod Liver Oil Cod liver oil is one of nature's richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA. Cod liver oil is made from the livers of fish belonging to the cod family. The oil in these fish gets deposited in the liver and this oil is also a very good source of vitamins A and D.

4. Sardine Sardines are known as one of the World’s healthiest food and are rich in various nutrients that support a cardiovascular health. They are one of the most concentrated sources of DAH and EPA and also have high levels of vitamin B12.

5. Herring Herring is a sea fish from the sardine family and is a highly nutritious food. This small fish is a massive source of omega-3s and vitamin D that boast a ton of health benefits. Research has shown that even pickled herring is packed with Omega -3.

6. Oyster Oyster, a daily diet for coastal people across the world is a very good source of Omega -3 and essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein like vitamin B12, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

7. Flaxseeds These are small brown or yellow seeds and are often powdered, milled or used to make oil. These seeds are the best and the richest source of plant based Omega -3 especially ALA. Flaxseeds are also very high in fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and other nutrients.

8. Walnuts Walnuts are the tastiest and easy source of plant based Omega -3. Like all plant based omega-3 sources walnuts are also very rich in ALA. Unlike other omega 3 sources walnuts can be just tossed in a bag and eaten on the go.

9. Chia Seeds Chia means strength as per the ancient Mayan language and is an ancient superfood. It is not only a high source of omega 3 but is also contains various other nutrients like calcium, protein, iron, magnesium and zinc.

10. Hemp Seeds These are seeds of hemp plants and are incredibly nutritious. They are remarkably rich in two crucial fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).

When it comes to enriching your health with Omega -3 the best way to do so is by including plenty of Omega-3 foods and also supplementing if needed. Through a combination of both you can have a perfectly balanced and healthy diet.

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