Five Surprising Reasons You Need Omega-3

Omega-3 is called an essential fatty acid for a reason – it’s essential for your body to function, but it has some surprising hidden health benefits too.

What is omega-3?

Two important omega-3s, DHA and EPA, are found mainly in oily fish including salmon, mackerel and sardines, but you don’t have to miss out if you don’t eat fish – linseeds, pecans, hazelnuts and walnuts are rich in another form of omega-3 called ALA, which gets turned into DHA and EPA in your body.

Omega-3 vs omega-6

Unfortunately, most of us aren’t getting enough omega-3. We tend to have much higher levels of a different fatty acid, omega-6, in our diets, found in foods such as vegetable oils and meat.

Omega-6 is still an essential fat but when we eat more omega-6 than omega-3, it can cause inflammation, which may be linked to conditions from arthritis to heart disease. The answer? Up your omega-3 intake. It’s recommended we eat one portion of oily fish every week, or try taking a fish oil supplement with a good balance of DHA and EPA.

You’ve probably heard that omega-3 is good for your joints, brain and heart, but we’ve found five more well-being benefits to this essential fat.

• It can help you sleep better
• It can soothe your skin
• It can lower your blood pressure
• It can boost your memory
• It can ease PMS

Each one is explained below:

1. It can help you sleep better

One study found children who took an omega-3 supplement both slept for longer and woke up less during the night, and researchers think omega-3 could have similar effects on adults. Omega-3 helps the body make substances involved with helping you fall sleep, such as the hormone melatonin.

2. It can soothe your skin

Plagued by eczema or psoriasis? Spanish scientists discovered taking omega-3 supplements, as well as using topical treatments, could help ease psoriasis. Another study found taking omega 3 supplements reduced the severity of eczema. Experts think the effects could be down to omega-3’s anti-inflammatory properties.

3. It can lower your blood pressure

Omega-3 fatty acids have also been found to reduce blood pressure. It’s thought they help blood vessels dilate, so the heart doesn’t need to push blood around the body so forcefully. This may be one of the reasons they’re linked with a lower risk of stroke.

4. It can boost your memory

Keep forgetting where you put your keys? Research shows taking fish oil supplements for six months can sharpen your memory. It’s thought the DHA found in omega-3 fatty acids helps nerve cells communicate better with each other.

5. It can ease PMS

Do you get moody, tearful or anxious every month? Omega-3 could help; research found taking a supplement could reduce the psychological signs of PMS, and may also help with some of the physical symptoms, from bloating to breast tenderness.

It may be because omega-3 fatty acids help your body produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, which help reduce levels of another type of prostaglandin linked to swelling and pain.

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The Seven Foods You Should Eat for a Healthy Heart

• Health experts say you should eat dark chocolate to prevent heart disease
• They also recommend pumpkin seeds and whole grains
• Replace processed snacks with a handful of nuts to reduce risk of a heart attack

You can eat your way to a longer life with just a few everyday foods that will keep your heart healthy, experts say.

Though exercise is important too, eating these seven foods is said to help prevent heart disease, as well as boost general health.

From pumpkin seeds to green tea, these are the foods and drinks we should try and eat every day.

1. Whole grains 

Heart disease is responsible for 73,000 deaths a year in the UK and every seven minutes, someone will have a heart attack - so it's important to eat the right foods to prevent illness

Replacing white bread with bread containing whole grains could greatly reduce the risk of coronary disease and stroke, according to AXA PPP healthcare experts, who put together this list of foods to eat to improve heart health. 

Refining flour eliminates many of the health benefits otherwise found in whole grains, they say. 

2. Nuts 

Nuts may be high in fat, but the monounsaturated fats they contain improve heart health. 

Studies have shown that a daily consumption of one portion of nuts reduces the risk of coronary disease. This effect is even more pronounced if the nuts are replacing 'processed' snacks rich in sugar, saturated fats, or trans fats.  

3. Chocolate 

Seven million people are living with heart disease in the UK - eating dark chocolate could help improve the health of your heart

Studies have shown that people who regularly consume 20g or two squares of 70 per cent dark chocolate show a marked improvement in blood flow.

But no improvement is observed in those who eat 'processed' chocolate, which contains very little cocoa paste. 

The health benefits of dark chocolate is linked to a property in its polyphenols which releases a chemical messenger - nitric oxide. That increases arterial dilatation, while at the same time improving blood flow and reducing platelet aggregation - boosting heart health.

4. Avocado 

These are rich in vitamins B, especially B5, which is important for adrenal health. 

Its creamy texture may help reduce cravings as well, and, being rich in monounsaturated fat and protein, it may help to quell your appetite too.

5. Omega-3s

Omega-3 oils can come from marine, animal and plant sources, but no matter where they come from, they greatly improve heart health.

You should try to include omega-3 oils from all of these sources as part of a balanced diet. 

6. Pumpkin seeds

Heart disease costs the UK's economy £15 billion a year, and the cost of caring for people with heart disease is £11 billion a year (pictured: pumpkin seeds which could boost heart health)

These seeds are packed with stress-relieving magnesium which is good for heart health as stress levels can have a severe impact on the heart. 

The seeds also contain plenty of protein and healthy fats to keep those hunger cravings at bay and help with weight loss.

7. Green tea

A recent study has shown that drinking green tea rapidly improves the function of the endothelia cells lining the circulatory system.

Endothelial dysfunction is what triggers the thickening of artery walls, which could then lead to heart disease.

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