We
hope everyone will join us at the Village Commons this Thursday, April 9, from
2 to 5 p.m. for our next Pathfinder Produce fresh fruits and vegetable
market. Spring is finally here(!) so why
not celebrate by sharing some great produce and fresh tastes with your family.
***
During a recent visit with my family nurse practitioner we hit
upon the topic of foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Admittedly, I really don’t know much about
omega-3 and thought I should learn more: These are substances that have been in
the news for a few years, as they may help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), improve
brain function, and have a role in preventing inflammatory diseases.
According to How
Stuff Works, omega-3 fatty acids are vital polyunsaturated fats that are
converted into more-complex fats in the body. The website says that omega-3s
help regulate blood clotting and help cell growth. Research continues on omega-3’s role in
promoting heart health, helping arthritis, and preventing depression and
improving memory.
Omega-3’s have “a somewhat evil twin” though, called omega-6 fatty
acids, which according to HSW, promote inflammation and compete with omega-3s
during metabolism. “The modern Western diet tends to be top-heavy with omega-6
acids, largely due to the reliance on refined vegetable oils both in homes and
in the food industry,” says HSW. It adds
that corn oil, and other corn and grain products are high in omega-6.
Lucky for me, I enjoy plant foods that are rich in omega-3 fats:
walnuts, flax seeds and wild rice (which is actually a grass not a grain). My
practitioner recommended flax seeds as an ideal additive to breakfast cereal, and
flax seed oil is super concentrated in omega-3s. Less-expensive and more-widely available,
canola oil is also very rich in omega-3s; according to the Readers’
Digest webpage, the Institute of Medicine recommends at least 1,100 mg a
day for men and 1,600 mg for women.
Other food sources rich in omega-3s are listed at the Self Nutrition
Data website,
including basil and radish sprouts.
Plant-sourced omega-3s are typically alpha-linolenic acids
(ALAs). When consumed by animals, ALAs
are converted into longer chained fats to be used during metabolism, eicosapentaenoic acids (EPAs) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHAs). Humans don’t convert these fats efficiently
(only about 5% are converted), so some folks choose to cut to the chase by
eating animal-based sources of omega-3s, which include fish, fish oil, and
grass-fed meat and poultry. Grain-fed
cows and chickens tend to create meats, dairy products and eggs that are higher
in omega-6, thereby canceling out the benefits of the omega-3 content. An
in-depth study on grain-fed vs. grass-fed beef can be found here at the Nutrition
Journal website.
Until next time, read your nutritional labels and be well!
Lori
