We’ve talked a lot about omega-3 supplements and how beneficial and essential they are to add to your supplement stack—whether you’re an athlete looking for a boost or looking for a clean, vegan source of omega-3s.It’s all well and good that we’re telling you that you should take them, but why?That’s what this article is about: everything you need to know about why omega-3 fatty acids are so beneficial for your health, along with our recommendation for the best omega-3 supplement.But as usual, let’s first cover the basics.
What Are Omega-3s?
Omega-3 fatty acids are a class of polyunsaturated fats the body can’t synthesize. They can therefore be deemed essential because you must get them through diet or supplementation.There are three omega-3 fatty acids you’ll commonly hear about:EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).
The former two are concentrated in fatty fish like salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel, while the latter, ALA, is only found in plant foods like nuts and seeds.But interestingly enough, there’s another source of omega-3 that is cleaner, safer, and more potent than fish oils: algae, which we’ll talk about more in this article.
Benefits Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
For a single supplement, omega-3 fatty acids have quite the rep in the health community.They’re needed for a slew of functions in the body and are an important part of maintaining not only health and well-being but preventing the development of certain chronic conditions.
They Keep Your Brain Healthy
If you didn’t already know, your brain is the fattiest organ in your body, composed of over 60% fat, and coincidently needs fat to function correctly 1. Fatty acids are among the most crucial molecule that determines your brain’s integrity and ability to perform, and without them, you won’t be the sharpest tool in the shed.The neuronal membrane and the myelin sheath both contain very high amounts of fatty acids, and the integrity of the myelin sheath is one of the most important factors dictating the proper function of the nervous system. Among the significant components of cell membranes and the myelin are phospholipids that contain these fatty acids, and the composition of these membranes affects their function. A phospholipid composed of saturated fat is less fluid than one composed of EFAs; saturated fat is more solid than EFAs. As such, the composition of these membranes affects neuronal membrane fluidity; the less fluid the membrane is, the more difficult it is for a cell to carry out its normal functions and thus increases the cell’s susceptibility to injury and death 1. Concerning fatty acid uptake, the brain prefers two: arachidonic acid (AA) and DHA, with DHA being taken up preferentially over AA; when AA levels are too high, there’s a tendency towards formation of inflammatory substances, which interfere with brain function 1. Besides brain development, EFAs are also critical messenger molecules. The fatty acids that form your cell membranes act as a messenger when necessary, taking part in various signal cascades to either promote neuronal injury or elicit a neuroprotective effect 1.And if that wasn’t enough, EFAs also protect cognitive function, helping to support mental performance.
They Support Heart Health
Inflammation, high triglycerides, and an imbalance between LDL and HDL cholesterol are the main precursors for the development of heart conditions. Thanks to the rise in fast food, fried foods, and a low intake of whole, unprocessed foods, we eat a lot more omega-6 fatty acids than we do omega-3. Omega-6 fatty acids are pro inflammatory and lead to the production of AA. Left unchecked, high levels of AA increase inflammation and predisposition to many chronic illnesses.Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, however, has been shown to 2:
- Improve LDL to HDL ratio
- Reduce total cholesterol to HDL ratio
- Lower triglyceride levels
An increase in circulating EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids has also been shown to be protective against cardiovascular risk factors, as well as help reduce the risk of hypertension, thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrhythmias 3,4.
Maintains Healthy Eyes
Aside from being concentrated in the brain, DHA is also concentrated in the retinas of the eyes.Regular intake of omega-3 fatty acids may help to protect the retinas, reducing the risk of age-related macular degenerative disease. DHA is also enriched in photoreceptor cell membranes, and a deficiency impairs vision because of photoreceptor cell dysfunction. This is caused by reducing the activity of the compound involved in phototransduction called rhodopsin 5. But luckily for you, the damage is reversible, so if you find your night vision suffering, bump up your DHA intake!
Important During Pregnancy
EFAs, especially omega-3s, are a critical component of fetal development and are therefore necessary during pregnancy. They are crucial for brain development during both the fetal and postnatal period, playing an important role in neuronal growth, development of synaptic processing of neural cell interaction, and expression of genes regulating cell differentiation and growth 1.Not just this, but the fetus and placenta are both dependent on maternal EFA supply for proper growth and development.
Low intake of DHA has been associated with impaired cognitive and behavioral function 1.
The Best Vegan Source Of Omega-3
Typically, omega-3s are obtained through consuming cold-water fatty fish, but recently there’s been a lot of speculation over the health and efficacy of these fish oils. Not only are they subject to oxidization, which means they're rancid when you consume them, but they’re also contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and other harmful compounds, and the method of harvest they use is far from sustainable.And also, fish don’t actually synthesize EPA and DHA. It accumulates in their tissues from their diet.
Algae, on the other hand, is where the EPA and DHA are actually derived from.
So, in the interest of your health, skip the concerns with fish oils and go directly to the source of omega-3s.
Performance Lab Omega 3 supplies safe, clean, and sustainable EPA+DHA Omega-3s directly from their original source in all aquatic ecosystems: algae.
Performance Lab® Omega-3 with life’s™ OMEGA algal oil offers high-potency EPA+DHA benefits, without fish oil drawbacks.
It’s ultraclean, containing no heavy metals, PCBs, or toxic contaminants, is environmentally friendly and sustainable, and traceable from start to finish.
References
- CY Chang, DS Ke, JY Chen. Essential fatty acids and human brain. Acta neurologica Taiwanica. 2009 Dec; 18(4): 231-41.
- JA Conquer, BJ Holub. Supplementation with an algae source of docosahexaenoic acid increases (n-3) fatty acid status and alters selected risk factors for heart disease in vegetarian subjects. J Nutr. 1996 Dec; 126(12): 3032-9.
- DS Doughman, S Krupanidhi, CB Sanjeevi. Omega-3 fatty acids for nutrition and medicine: considering microalgae oil as a vegetarian source of EPA and DHA. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2007 Aug; 3(3): 198-203.
- TC Adarme-Vega, DK Lim, M Timmins, F Vernen, Y Li, PM Schenk. Microalgal biofactories: a promising approach towards sustainable omega-3 fatty acid production. Microb Cell Fact. 2012; 11: 96.
- S Senapati, M Gragg, IS Samuels, VM Parmar, A Maeda, PS Park. Effect of dietary docosahexaenoic acid on rhodopsin content and packing in photoreceptor cell membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2018 Jun; 1860(6): 1403-1413.
