Omega-3; also known as fish oil is a very well-known supplement in the sports world. In addition, this supplement is also very popular outside the sports world.
But why is this supplement so well known?
Omega-3 sellers often state that there are many positive health effects associated with taking the supplement. We will discuss in this article whether these claims of sellers are correct.
Table of Contents
- What is omega-3?
- In which products is omega-3 found?
- How much omega-3 do you need?
- The benefits of omega-3
What is omega-3?
First we want to clear up a misconception about omega-3.
As we mentioned before, omega-3 is also known as fish oil, but these 2 terms do not exactly mean the same thing.
What exactly is the difference?
Omega-3 is a family of fatty acids of which there are 3 main types:
- Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Alpha-linolenic acid is obtained from vegetable products and eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic from fish oil.
The term fish oil therefore only refers to eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
In which products is omega-3 found?
Omega-3 is found in the daily diet, but can also be taken in the form of a supplement.
There are many products with a low amount of omega-3, but we will look at the products with a high amount of omega-3.
Roughly you can divide the foods into 3 groups:
- Fatty fish
- Vegetable oils
- Certain seeds and nuts
As discussed earlier, there is a distinction between food products containing alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and food products containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
We list the products below per group:
| Food products from the ALA group | Food products from the EPA/DHA group |
| Linseed oil | Herring |
| Linseed | Salmon |
| Walnut oil | Sardines |
| Walnuts | Mackerel |
| Soya oil | Tuna |
| Rapeseed oil | |
| Olive oil |
How much omega-3 do you need?
There are various advice on the intake of omega-3, however, you can use the rules below as a rule of thumb.
- ALA -> 1 percent of your calories in a day.
- EPA/DHA -> About 200 milligrams per day.
Practically this amounts to eating 1-2 servings of fish per week for EPA and DHA.
Now you may be wondering why should I take omega-3 as a supplement?
The answer is actually very simple. If you do not get enough omega-3 in your daily diet it is easy to get it this way.
The benefits of omega-3
In this section we will discuss the proven benefits of omega-3.
#1 Heart health
Omega-3 has a positive effect on the vascular system.
In addition to a better working heart, this also reduces the risk of a heart attack.
These effects are mainly due to an increase in good cholesterol (HDL) and a decrease in bad cholesterol (LDL).
#2 Functioning of the brain
Omega-3 can support brain function.
Due to the improved brain function, this can increase vision.
#3 Prevention of depression
Omega-3 can counteract the symptoms of depression.
This has to do with the positive effect that omega-3 has on the brain.
For this reason, it can also counteract mood swings.
#4 Inhibit aging
Omega-3 may inhibit mental decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.
It should be noted, however, that there is still a lot of research to be done in this area.
Lifestyle coach [5+ years of fitness experience]