WHAT'S THE RECOMMENDED DAILY AMOUNT OF OMEGA 3?

Your body needs dietary fats in order to function in optimal health. While it can be unhealthy to eat too much or not enough of some fats, if your body doesn't have healthy fats in it, it will not be able to work properly. Fat keeps your hair and skin healthy, helps your body absorb critical vitamins, and it insulates you to help keep you warm. Because there are some fats that your body cannot make, they are essential to add to your diet.

Fat is also used for brain development and reducing inflammation in the body. It also helps blood clot correctly. Trans fat is a dangerous fat, and it is found in processed foods and dessert items. When foods are being processed, oils that may have once been healthy are turned into solids as they are hydrogenated in order to increase their shelf life. It is at this time when trans fats are created.

Trans fats do not benefit your health in any way and it is unsafe to eat them in any amount. However, polyunsaturated fats are essential, meaning you have to consume them because your body can't make them itself. The two principle types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3s and omega-6s, where the number recognizes the chemical bond in the fat.

While both omega-3s and omega-6s are essential to your health, a lot of people don't eat the amounts of each that they should, which leads to chronic inflammation. You can get omega-6 in your diet through eating corn oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. The best ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s in your diet is 1:1.4, however, the average person's diet has a ratio of these fats that is 1:16.

Keeping a lower ratio could help reduce your risk of developing several chronic diseases that are ailing our country. Americans' intake of omega-6 fats has almost tripled over the past century as vegetable oils have been introduced to our diets. However, researchers have uncovered a formula to help 95% of people raise their omega-3 level up to a healthier range of 8% to 12%.6.

Measuring omega-3 levels in your blood allows doctors to gauge your risk for developing a chronic disease. This healthy fat is measured through your red blood cells to determine the amount that can be found in the rest of your body. The ratio is shown as a percentage of all of the fatty acids in your red blood cell membrane. A healthy range of omega-3s has been shown to be between 8% and 12%.

Maintaining your determined omega-3 index that keeps you in a low risk range reduces the probability that you will develop cardiovascular disease. Researchers believe that people with an omega-3 index under 4% were classified as being at high risk for developing heart disease, and people with an index higher than 8% have a low risk of developing heart disease.

Reduced inflammation and improved heart health can also impact other health benefits that are linked with omega-3 fats, such as asthma, brain and eye development, risk of developing MS, risk of developing Parkinson's, and risk of depression.

One thing to keep in mind is the relationship between vitamin D and Omega 3. Most of the population is deficient in both of these things, and they work together to help your body work efficiently and effectively. If you are able to take a vitamin D supplement, you can increase the absorption of the Omega 3 that you consume, so one way to improve your ratio of omega 3s and decrease the chances of developing some of the associated diseases mentioned is to increase your intake of vitamin D along with watching your ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.

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