Alpha Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3 fatty acids belong to the group of essential fatty acids, which means they cannot be produced by the body and have to be provided from external sources. Alpha omega 3, or Alpha-linolenic acid is one of them.

Here are the most important omega 3 fatty acids are:

* Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
* Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
* Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

The richest sources of alpha omega 3 (ALA) are flaxseed oil and walnuts. The daily consumption of ALA should be somewhere around 2g, which can be obtained from one or two tablespoons of flaxseed oil.

The body converts ALA into EPA and DHA, however, older people and people suffering from diabetes or schizophrenia may lack the ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA. In these cases it's more advisable to obtain omega 3's from other sources like cold water fish or fish oil supplements.

Studies have found that regular consumption of fish (rich in DHA and EPA) may reduce the risk of macular degeneration, on the other hand a recent study found that diets rich in ALA may increase the risk of this disease. However more research is needed to confirm this. Until this information becomes available, it is best for people with macular degeneration to obtain omega-3 fatty acids from sources of EPA and DHA, rather than ALA.

Similar to macular degeneration, fish and fish oil may protect against prostate cancer, but ALA may be associated with increased risk of prostate cancer in men. Again, more research is required to confirm this.

Omega 6 fats also belong to the group of essential fatty acids and both, omega 3's and omega 6's are necessary to keep your body healthy. However, it's important to provide both in the right ratio. Ideally, the ratio between omega 3 to omega 6 should be somewhere around 1 to 3 or 1 to 5.

Unfortunately, in typical "western diets" there is a massive overload of omega 6 and a lack of omega 3's. Ratios between omega 3's to omega 6's are as high as 1 to 50, which might be one of the causes for numerous diseases including cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, depression and others.

To reduce the risk of these diseases, make sure your diet contains sufficient amounts of foods rich in omega 3 fats (as mentioned above) and to reduce the consumption of saturated fats.

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