Omega 3 Foods

There are several types of omega 3 foods which you can consume to obtain your necessary supply of these essential fatty acids.

Firstly, cold water fish is a rich source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), two omega 3 fatty acids which are well-known to have many important health benefits. Not only do they boost immune function and protect against serious diseases like cancer, they also improve the health of the heart, brain, joints, skin and hair.

Fish which are part of the foods containing omega 3 fatty acids include albacore tuna, anchovies, blue fin tuna, cod, halibut, herring, hoki, lake trout, mackerel, pilchards, rainbow trout, sablefish, salmon, sardines, sea bass, swordfish, turbot as well as yellow fin tuna. These fish are said to have a significant omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, and are omega 3 rich foods.

Fish nowadays are, however, usually contaminated with environmental pollutants like mercury, PCBs and dioxins. And such toxin accumulation tends to increase with fish which are higher up the food chain. One type of fish which is said to have relatively low levels of toxins is the hoki.

With regard to eating fish as your omega 3 fatty acid foods, it is also important to consume wild-caught varieties. This is because wild-caught fish are the ones which are good omega 3 foods, due to the fact they eat their "normal" diets. Farm-raised fish are usually fed poor diets, and they tend to have relatively low levels of omega 3's, while possibly also containing chemicals.

There are other animal foods with omega 3 fatty acids. Grass-fed beef, for example, has relatively more omega 3's than grain-fed beef. It must be noted though, that even grass-fed beef has more omega 6 fatty acids than omega 3's.

Dairy products, i.e. milk and cheese, which are produced from grass-fed cows could also provide decent amounts of omega 3 fatty acids.

Further, eggs which are laid by chickens which are fed greens and insects, as supposed to corn or grains, contain relatively higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids. Sometimes, fish oil is added to the chickens' diets to boost the omega 3 content of their eggs.

In addition, there are many plant, vegetarian or vegan omega 3 foods which you can consume on a regular basis to boost your intake of these essential fatty acids. Indeed, there are many foods rich in omega 3 in the plant kingdom.

Do note, though, that plant foods normally contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and not DHA or EPA. ALA is also an omega 3 fatty acid, and it can be converted by the body into DHA and EPA, albeit on a limited basis. Thus, plants are somewhat different food sources of omega 3, as compared to animal-based omega 3 foods.

Some plant foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids include butternut squash, chia, flaxseed, perilla, purslane, rapeseed, tofu, walnuts and winter squash. Some plant oils are also potent omega 3 foods, and these include flaxseed oil, hemp oil, soybean oil and walnut oil. Acai palm fruit, broccoli and strawberries are also said to be foods with omega 3's in them.

Among these vegetarian foods containing omega 3's, flaxseed and flaxseed oil are two of the best and most widely utilized sources; these are foods high in omega 3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds are also very rich in fiber and make excellent colon cleansers. When purchasing flaxseeds, make sure you buy whole seeds; the oils in these seeds turn rancid quite quickly, and it is thus not advisable to buy pre-ground seeds.

Other possible vegan omega 3 food sources include certain microalgae, which are said to contain DHA; these algae are used to make some supplements. Kelp oil is also said to contain EPA.