I've heard of omega-3 fatty acids. What are they exactly, and why are these fats good for my heart?

Omega-3s are part of the polyunsaturated family of fats that are found mainly in fish and some plant sources. Why have they become so popular? Because our bodies love the health benefits they provide. There are two omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA that are good for your heart and help your blood vessels stay elastic which in turn helps your blood move through your body more easily. This means you have less chance of having high blood pressure and blood clots which are tied to stroke.

Omega-3 fats also fight inflammation. You might be thinking…like when I get a cut? Same idea but I’m talking about internal inflammation that is tied to disease. Scientists think that chronic inflammation in the body is part of what causes arteries to harden, heart problems and possibly affects rheumatoid arthritis. Also, if you have diabetes, omega-3s may be really important to help lower triglyceride levels which are also tied to heart disease. Plus new research is looking at how omega-3s affect mental and visual function as well so we’ll see what comes out the research pipeline.

What nutritionists think is happening in the American diet today is that omega-3s are lacking and overshadowed by omega-6s. Commonly used in processed foods, omega-6s are fats (also part of the polyunsaturated fat family) found in veggie oils such as cottonseed, safflower and corn oils. Omega-6s kick inflammation in the body up a notch while the omega-3s do just the opposite -- help reduce it. Our diets have tilted in favor of omega 6s and need to be restored to a better balance. By the way, your body does NOT make omega-3s so it’s important that you get them from food.

Fish is the best source of omega-3s. Current research suggests that you eat 1 to 2 servings per week (a serving being about 3 to 4 ounces) especially of fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, or light tuna.
You might be wondering: What about the mercury in fish? The PCBs? Because the research on the benefit to the heart is so strong, the current recommendation is that the health benefits of eating fish outweigh any potential contamination with mercury or PCBs. There’s a caveat here: If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you have children younger than 12, consume only up to 2 servings a week (3-ounce portions) of fish and be sure to avoid large, predatory fish with higher mercury levels such as swordfish, tilefish, or king mackerel. But overall, you should not be scared of eating seafood -- just be smart about it.

Have you heard that you can also find these omega-3 fats in plant foods? Plant sources contain what’s called ALA, another omega-3 fat. What happens in your body is that this ALA converts to EPA and DHA -- perhaps only at about a 10% conversion so fish is the best source with plants sources taking second place. Research is inconclusive at this point as to whether these ALAs help the heart directly or play more of a role in reducing inflammation and helping to better balance the fat intake between the 6s and the 3s we talked about, which may indirectly benefit your heart. Sources of ALAs are ground flaxseed, walnuts, and canola oil.

Where else will you find omega-3s? They’re a hot trend as an added food ingredient (called functional food, which is a food that didn’t have this beneficial component until it was added during processing). I’ve already seen omega-3s added to orange juice, cereal, butter/spreads, milk, yogurt, eggs, and even pet food.

Omega-3 fats are good for your heart and body, so aim to eat fish a couple of times per week and if you don’t eat fish or even if you do, add some walnuts, ground flaxseed, and canola oil to your regular diet.