Omega 3 Fatty Acid As Functional Food

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are Not Created Equally

We should be aware that there are three types of omega 3 fatty acids and our body uses each one differently.

DHA and EPA are the fatty acids that have shown the most benefits to our health. These fatty acids are found in abundance in seafood and marine algae. ALA, on the other hand, comes from plant-based foods like canola oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil, and walnuts. ALA is not used by the body as efficiently as the other two and, therefore, provides fewer benefits.

The nutritional facts on the food labels of fortified foods should be read carefully to determine if the product actually contains the kind of omega 3 fatty acids that the body needs. Sometimes, this products that claim to be omega 3-enriched use ALA from plants because it doesn’t give a strong odor or flavor to the product, unlike DHA and EPA from fish.