What is omega-3 and what are its three main types?
An in-depth analysis of Omega-3 supplements’ benefits. This article explores their specific effects on the brain and joints.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a class of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that the human body cannot synthesize on its own and must obtain through food; hence, they are called “essential fatty acids.”
There are three main types.
ALA (alpha-linolenic acid): mainly derived from vegetable oils and nuts.
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid): mainly derived from deep-sea fish
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid): mainly derived from deep-sea fish.
In simple terms, Omega-3 is an important “building material” for constructing cell membranes and maintaining brain and cardiovascular health, and it is a nutrient that is generally lacking in modern people.
The 10 of Omega-3 supplements benefits: Comprehensive protection from heart to brain
(1) Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, thrombosis (coagulation disease), myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, and thrombotic stroke.
(2) Diabetes: including the onset of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and secondary heart disease.
(3) Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases: including rheumatoid arthritis, chronic enteritis, asthma, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, etc.
(4) Mental/neurological disorders: including depression, schizophrenia, age-related brain degeneration (Alzheimer’s disease), epilepsy, ADHD and attention deficit in children, etc.
(5) Tumors: including breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and tumor cachexia.
(6) Kidney diseases: including immune glomerulonephritis, IgA (immune) nephropathy, renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, and kidney stones.
(7) Lung diseases: including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and asthma.
(8) Gynecological and obstetric diseases: including dysmenorrhea, postmenopausal osteoporosis, premature birth, low birth weight infants, etc.
(9) Brain development: including the normal development of the fetal and infant brains, and the incomplete brain development of premature infants (such as poor vision and learning ability).
(10) Ophthalmic diseases: including retinal degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.Other conditions include toxemia, migraines, osteoporosis in the elderly, and skin diseases (such as dermatitis).
Signals of omega-3 deficiency: 7 health warnings from your body
Skin irritation and dryness
If the body lacks Omega-3 fatty acids, skin problems such as sensitivity, dryness, and even an abnormal increase in acne may appear first.
This is because Omega-3 fatty acids are the raw materials for the phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes. Supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids can improve the integrity of the skin barrier, prevent moisture loss, and play a protective role, thereby keeping the skin away from dryness and sensitivity and reducing skin inflammation.
Dry eyes
If tear production is insufficient or of poor quality, symptoms of dry eye syndrome will appear. These may include dry eyes, photophobia, tearing, burning sensation, blurred vision, a foreign body sensation, and eye fatigue.
Omega-3 has shown significant efficacy in improving dry eye symptoms in numerous studies. Supplementing with DHA and other Omega-3 fatty acids helps activate the retina, improve eye moisture, and enhance lacrimal gland function. It can also help alleviate symptoms such as dry eyes, eye fatigue, presbyopia, and blurred vision.
Joint pain and stiffness
If you experience joint pain and stiffness, it’s usually due to osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. EPA and DHA in Omega-3 help reduce inflammatory factors in the body, strengthen joints, and increase flexibility, thereby reducing joint stiffness and pain .
Memory decline, attention deficit
Omega-3 fatty acids can enhance the activity of brain cells, thereby increasing brain volume, accelerating information processing speed, and helping to improve thinking and memory abilities.
DHA is also known as “brain gold,” which is extremely beneficial for the brain development of growing infants, especially premature infants, and can also slow down the decline of brain function and has a good preventive effect on Alzheimer’s disease.
Hair changes
Just as Omega-3 fatty acids help retain moisture in the skin, they also help maintain healthy hair. When hair loss increases, or hair becomes thinning or dry and brittle, supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids can help maintain hair density, texture, and strength.
How to choose a high-quality omega-3 supplement?
When choosing Omega-3 products, the source of the raw materials and the extraction process are crucial.
First and foremost, choosing reputable companies and products is more important than pursuing low prices and high content. Making the wrong choices can lead to oxidation, fatty acid denaturation, and various impurities, which can be harmful to health. For example, many products claim to come from clean regions like Canada, New Zealand, or Australia, but in reality, many low-priced Omega-3 products use oils imported from other countries.
Some criteria for choosing high-quality omega-3 products
Pollutant detection: The detection status and content of heavy metals such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins, mercury, and lead.
Oxidation level test: Omega-3 is easily oxidized by combining with oxygen, so oxidation level testing is very important.
Chemicals used in the extraction process: Solvents and nucleic acid-related chemicals used in the extraction process.
Concentration rate: The content and ratio of EPA, DHA, and DPA in different products.
Recommended omega-3 intake: Daily requirements for different ages and groups
Omega-3 is an essential nutrient for the human body, but it is difficult for the body to synthesize and must be obtained from external foods. So how much should we eat?
International authoritative organizations and various countries have made recommendations regarding this:
World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO recommends that adults consume 1%-2% of their energy intake from Omega-3 fatty acids (2003).
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
The FAO provided detailed recommendations based on different age groups and demographics (2008):
How to effectively supplement omega-3?
Dietary priority: Natural food sources
Deep-sea fish (direct source of EPA/DHA)
Recommended fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout, anchovies.
Frequency of consumption: at least twice a week (100-150g each time), choose wild or low-mercury varieties.
Cooking advice: Use low-temperature steaming or baking to avoid frying at high temperatures which can destroy nutrients.
Plant-based ALA sources (must be converted to EPA/DHA)
Seeds: Flaxseed (crushed and eaten), chia seeds, hemp seeds (1-2 tablespoons daily).
Nuts: Walnuts (about 30g per day) or walnut oil.
Leafy green vegetables: spinach, kale (low in content, but can be used as a supplementary source).
Other natural sources
Algae: kelp, spirulina, algae DHA supplements (suitable for vegetarians).
Grass-fed meat/eggs contain higher levels of Omega-3 than grain-fed animals.
Supplement selection (when dietary intake is insufficient)
Fish oil/krill oil
Selection criteria: High concentration of EPA+DHA (at least 300mg per capsule), IFOS or GOED certification (to ensure purity).
Dosage: It is generally recommended to take 500-1000mg of EPA+DHA daily, but this needs to be adjusted according to individual needs (such as higher doses for anti-inflammatory needs).
Algal oil (suitable for vegetarians)
Advantages: Directly provides DHA, contains some EPA, and has no risk of fish allergy.
Suitable for: pregnant women (to support fetal brain development) and vegetarians.
ALA supplements (such as flaxseed oil capsules)
Note: ALA has a conversion rate of only 5-10%, which is inefficient and not recommended as a primary source.
Optimize absorption and utilization
When combined with fat intake: Omega-3 is fat-soluble, so taking it with meals (containing fatty foods) can enhance absorption.
Balance Omega-6 intake: Reduce oils rich in Omega-6, such as corn oil and soybean oil, to lower the risk of inflammation.
Antioxidant support: Supplement with Vitamin E (such as nuts and spinach) to prevent Omega-3 oxidation.
The difference between omega-3 and omega-6
Structures
Although both are long chains composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and contain multiple double bonds, the number of double bonds in their long-chain structures differs. Omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids have fewer double bonds (2-4) than Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids of the same length (3-6). Furthermore, Omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids are named for the fact that the double bond furthest from the carboxyl group is located on the sixth carbon atom from the end of the chain.
Food sources
The most significant difference lies in their functions.
Omega-3 is mostly found in marine plants and animals (fish, shrimp, seaweed, etc.), which are less common in inland China. Omega-6, on the other hand, is abundant in food sources. Plants such as corn and soybeans, as well as their processed products such as corn oil and soybean oil used in cooking, fried foods, and the pork, beef, and lamb we often eat, all contain a lot of Omega-6.
Although Omega-6 and Omega-3 compete for the same metabolic enzymes, their derivatives have very different functions and are even antagonistic to each other. For example, PG₂ produced by Omega-6 can cause arrhythmia and promote inflammation, while TXB₂ dilates blood vessels; PG₃ produced by Omega-3 can prevent arrhythmia and inhibit the production of inflammatory factors, while TXB₃ constricts blood vessels.
The biggest difference between Omega-6 and Omega-3 in their effects on the human body lies primarily in their response to inflammation. Omega-6 promotes inflammation, while Omega-3, on the contrary, alleviates and inhibits it. Therefore, maintaining a balance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 in the body is extremely important.
FAQ
Which omega-3 is best?
Omega-3 supplements vary from person to person, and there’s no single “best” supplement. The most important thing to look at is the EPA + DHA content. EPA and DHA are the types with the most clearly defined effects. Therefore, when reading supplement labels, pay attention to the mg levels of EPA + DHA.
Secondly, consider the product’s form and origin. TG/rTG should be given priority. Also, check for certification marks (such as IFOS, GOED, NSF, etc.).
What happens if I take omega-3 everyday?
Taking appropriate amounts of omega-3 supplements daily is beneficial to health and has a positive effect on anti-aging. Different groups have different requirements for omega-3. Taking omega-3 daily according to your needs can help strengthen your immunity.
Who should not take omega-3?
Children: Fish oil soft capsules are often made from fish oil, glycerin, vitamin E, and other processed substances. People with low immunity often take fish oil soft capsules as advised by their doctors. However, because children are too young, their spleen, stomach, liver, kidneys, and other organs are usually not fully developed and may not be able to fully digest and metabolize the fish oil soft capsules, thus inducing poor appetite, acid reflux, lower limb edema, and other phenomena, which may harm their health. Therefore, children should avoid taking fish oil soft capsules.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Pregnant and breastfeeding women are in a special period. After fish oil soft capsules enter the body, they may pass through the placental barrier or enter the fetus or baby through breast milk, which may affect the health of the fetus or baby. Therefore, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are not suitable to take fish oil soft capsules.
People allergic to fish oil soft capsules: If you are allergic to the substances in fish oil soft capsules, you should usually avoid taking them to prevent allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, sore throat, skin redness or papules.
