What is Omega-3?

Omega-3 fatty acids are not one single nutrient, but a family of several, each with different properties. Two crucial ones – EPA and DHA – are long-chain fatty acids. Another Omega-3, ALA, is a short-chain fatty acid that the body can only convert into EPA at very low levels, about 5%. Since our bodies do not produce Omega-3’s and conversion can be inefficient, it’s most efficient to get the right Omega-3 fatty acids in our diet through food or supplements.

One of the ways Omega-3s work is by reducing, or balancing, the effects of another family of fatty acids – Omega-6s (found in egg yolk, most meats, and other animal-based foods).While both Omega-3s and -6s can each offer positive health benefits, when pro-inflammatory Omega-6s aren’t balanced with sufficient amounts of anti-inflammatory Omega-3s, problems can ensue. The ratio of Arachidonic Acid (AA), an Omega-6, to EPA, a long-chain Omega-3, is often called the Inflammation Index. The latest research shows that the proper balance between these Omegas is a ratio of roughly three parts Omega-6 to one part Omega-3. Unfortunately, the average American diet provides about ten parts Omega-6 to one part Omega-3 — which is way out of balance. 

The Inuit people of Greenland are a society of hunters and fishermen, living mostly on seal meat and fish. Yet despite this high fat diet, heart disease was found to be quite low among the males of this population. In 1970, Dr. Jörn Dyerberg and a few colleagues traveled to Greenland seeking to understand how people with such diets could have such low rates of cardiovascular disease.These young doctors found “remarkable differences” in levels of long-chain fatty acids among the Inuit. Most notable were the high levels of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).Since then, thousands of clinical papers have been written on the positive effects of Omega-3 fatty acids on human health – with more studies being done each day.

• More from the American Heart Association