You’ve probably heard of Omega 3s. However, do you know why they are so important and so different from any other type of fat? Let me clue you in. Unlike other fats created in the body, you can’t actually make Omega 3 fatty acids on your own. The only way to get them is through the food you eat. You can also get them through omega 3 softgels or a fish oil supplement.

Why is it important to get enough omega 3s in your diet? Well, for one, these fatty acids play a role in every single one of your cells. For example, they’re involved in the formation of cell membranes throughout your body. They serve a lot of other important functions too. Let’s hit the highlights of the benefits of omega 3 fish oil. Then, we’ll talk about the best sources of these essential fatty acids. I’ll also share the best omega 3 fatty acid supplement to help boost these great benefits.

Benefits of Omega 3s

As I mentioned earlier, omega 3s offer a host of health benefits. Not only do they help lubricate joints and promote healthy skin, they also facilitate hormone balance and immune function. 

Thyroid Function

I discuss the many benefits of Omega 3s on your thyroid in this article. However, it bears repeating: Omega 3s are critical to a healthy thyroid. Your thyroid gland produces the hormones that regulate your metabolism. Not only that, but it also plays an important role in heart health and digestion.

Omega 3s Modulate Inflammatory Response

This Omega 3 benefit is a big one. Autoimmune diseases are a result of an inflammatory response in which your body attacks itself. In addition to creating healthy cell membranes, Omega 3s help you create prostaglandins all over your body. These lipids, or fats, are very similar to hormones. They form at the site of tissue damage to help you deal with injury and illness. Without the right amount of Omega 3s to create prostaglandins, your body’s inflammatory response gets thrown off track.

Your Gut and Immune System Health

Did you know your gut wall is only one cell layer thick? The health of that wall is critical to your overall health. After all, about 80% of your immune system lives in your gut! You not only want your immune system to stay put, but you also want to prevent your gut wall cells from pulling apart. A weak gut wall can allow food particles and bacteria into your bloodstream. This is a condition called leaky gut. Omega 3s helps you keep everything where it should be for optimal gut and immune system health.

Blood Clotting

Believe it or not, some blood clots are good! When a blood vessel gets injured, prostaglandins create blood clots to seal off the damaged area. Just as importantly, they also stand guard to reduce blood clotting as you heal. Additionally, they take away clots that are no longer needed.

Heart Health

A flexible, strong blood vessel is a healthy blood vessel. Healthy blood vessels enable your heart to move blood around your body efficiently. We touched before on Omega 3s impact on your body’s inflammatory response. We also discussed their role in managing the blood clotting process. Now you get an idea of how they support healthy blood vessels. They are also thought to help support a healthy heart rhythm.

Mood

Recent studies have shown that just one gram a day of Omega 3s can be a real mood lifter. To put that into perspective, that’s roughly the equivalent of eating three salmon meals per week. How does it work? Researchers are still studying this, but they believe it’s linked to improving the body’s inflammatory response. Interestingly, there is a reason that researchers even thought to study this. Come to find out, cultures that tend to eat a lot of fish report a lower incidence of mood disorders.1

Eye Health

One of the other benefits of omega 3 fish oil is how it affects the eyes. Once again, researchers turned to populations that eat a lot of oily fish. They found that people who regularly ate fish rich in Omega 3s were less likely to develop something called “wet” macular degeneration. This is a condition in which vessels leak blood or fluid into the eye.2 Omega 3s also impact dry eyes. Women are more prone to dry eyes than men. Research shows that women who ate tuna at least twice per week were significantly less likely to experience eye dryness, compared to women who ate tuna only once per week, or not at all.3

Sleep

If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, then this may bring relief. Did you know that adequate Omega 3 consumption can help improve sleep? One of the most interesting things about this is that the improvements seem to cross all ages. Meaning, Omega 3s enhance better sleep for adults and children alike, regardless of having very different sleep patterns and issues.

4 Researchers also suspect cell membrane health may play a factor. too, researchers suspect cell membrane health may be involved.5

Pregnancy and Nursing

We all know nutrition plays a vital role in pregnancy and childbirth. For one, your body uses Omega-3s to help produce breast milk after your baby is born. Additionally, they’re thought to play a vital part in determining the length of gestation. They may also contribute to preventing perinatal mood imbalances.6

Even more importantly, Omega 3s is a precursor to DHA. DHA is a fatty acid needed for the development of the human brain7 before and after birth.

Bone Health

That’s right, omega 3s benefit your bones as well! That same DHA that we just talked about in terms of infant development can affect your bones. It affects the calcium balance in your body.8 and impacts membrane function. It also plays a role in bone strength.9

Best Sources of Omega 3s

Now that you know the benefits of omega 3 fish oil, let’s talk about the best sources of this critical nutrient. Spoiler alert, you’ll usually find it in food and omega 3 softgels. You can also find it in fish oil supplements.

Food

As far as food goes, you have a few options. Fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, Atlantic herring, mussels, anchovies, swordfish, and Alaskan pollock all contain Omega 3s. Many people think that only ocean fish contain this essential fatty acid. However, freshwater fish like trout is an excellent source as well. In fact, trout, anchovies, herring, and mackerel are among the best natural sources for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.What about the classic tuna? Larger fish like tuna and swordfish do contain omega 3s. The downside is that they also have higher levels of mercury and heavy metals in them.10 That’s because they eat the smaller fish listed above. Keep that in mind when shopping for fatty fish.

You can also get Omega 3s from plants. Some of the best plant sources are chia seeds, flax seeds,11 walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds.

However, plants are actually sources of something called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Your body must convert ALAs to Omega 3s in your liver. As you can see, this isn’t a very efficient process. That said, it’s best not to rely on plant sources alone.

Benefits of Omega 3 Fish Oil

My family eats a lot of fish (one of my favorite ways is this salmon filet recipe). Even so, my husband Xavier, our daughter Elle, and I all take a fish oil supplement every day. It’s the best way to ensure I’m getting the right amount of Omega 3s. Oftentimes, the omega 3 content of fish depends on what the fish ate.

My Complete Omega Softgels are specially formulated by me to be a high-potency, emulsified fish oil. It also comes with advanced bioavailability. It’s the best omega 3 fatty acid supplement on the market! This non-GMO, antibiotic-free, and certified sustainable fish oil comes from the pristine arctic waters of Scandinavia. This is truly one of the highest quality fish oil supplements.

I designed these omega 3 softgels with 1000mg of EPA/DHA in every capsule. This means even greater potency than before. They also don’t have any fishy aftertaste! No other fish oil capsule on the planet can claim to be of higher quality than this Nordic omega 3 softgel.

The patented lipid absorption technology I use also makes the EPA/DHA absorption rate three times higher than similar products. My Omega 3 softgels are absorption-ready and directly assimilated in the intestinal tract for maximum benefit. This makes it a fantastic choice for anyone with digestive, gallbladder, or pancreatic challenges.

Whether you’re a fish fan or not, don’t skip getting the benefits of Omega 3 fish oil. They’re critical to every cell in your body and promote your optimal health overall. If you don’t like the taste of fish, look for a fish oil supplement that gives you all the same benefits. My Complete Omega Softgels is one of the best omega 3 fatty acid supplements out there. Give them a try today!