"Omega-3" is short for
omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential dietary macronutrients. This means that they are important components of the human diet that must be obtained through food. Three omega-3 fatty acids are important for human nutrition, including:
Recently, there has been much interest in omega-3 fatty acids for a variety of different health benefits
(see Omega-3 Benefits for more information).
Many people wonder how omega-3 fatty acids are different from omega-6 fatty acids.
Although omega-6 fatty acids are essential to human nutrition, the typical North American diet may actually contain too much omega-6 and too little omega-3. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in a wide variety of commonly consumed foods, like grains and many cooking oils, while omega-3 fatty acids are found in less commonly consumed foods, such as oily fish, certain nuts, and
flaxseed.
It seems that the ratio between the two is what is really important. Consuming too much omega-6 compared to omega-3 may increase the risk of numerous health problems, including
heart disease, cancer,
depression, and various inflammatory diseases.
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