Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids have plenty of benefits. That's why it pays to take them in tablet form too, especially if you do strength training or suffer from some kind of chronic illness — but also if you're a completely ordinary healthy person. In the vast majority of cases, the ordinary diet of today's hectic times simply won't contain enough of them. And that's a big mistake! So let's go through the reasons why they matter to us, their benefits and, of course, where we can find them and get them naturally from food. We have to put Omega-3 into our diet because our body cannot make it itself, and yet it is important for the body's proper biological functioning. But it isn't enough just to have Omega-3 — we also need it in the optimal amount. That matters a great deal, because our body needs a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. And why is that? While Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory, Omega-6 is practically pro-inflammatory. Don't panic and don't go looking online for foods without Omega-6 to get rid of pro-inflammatory fatty acids! In the right ratio with Omega-3 they are harmless — in fact beneficial. This "inflammation" helps the body against infections and injuries, but we mustn't let it off the leash through a lack of Omega-3! We get both kinds of fatty acids naturally from the food we eat every day. Or at least we should. In today's western way of eating, our diet contains an excessive amount of Omega-6, while at the same time our Omega-3 levels are the lowest in the whole history of human nutrition. To make it a bit more precise and help you picture just how much the intake of Omega-6 has risen in today's diet, let's bring in some numbers. The recommended ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is 4:1. In our ordinary diet, however, the ratio is Omega-6 to Omega-3 15:1!!! So we have almost four times as much Omega-6 but no shift at all in Omega-3, so let's put that right, shall we? The benefits of Omega-3: A healthy brain Omega-3 fatty acids help in the fight against depr…