As for the other 11.3% \u2014 10.4% are in the \u201cintermediate risk category\u201d and roughly 1% are in the \u201clow risk\u201d category. It might be easier to contextualize this figure through that final number. Only one in every 100 American adults is getting enough omega-3s to meaningfully protect their hearts.<\/p>\n
The study found some other sobering figures, too: 95% of children and 68% of adults aren\u2019t meeting the Dietary Guidelines for America\u2019s recommended intake of 250 mg per day. Putting that brutal stat for the kids aside, it\u2019s nice to see that over 30% of Americans are at least getting their daily intake of omega-3s. After all, omega-3s catalyze a variety of benefits in the body, from reducing inflammation to promoting brain health.<\/p>\n
Still, very few American adults are getting enough omega-3s to secure those cardioprotective benefits. And considering the leading cause of death in the United States remains heart disease (it\u2019s held the top spot since 1921<\/a>, a perennial powerhouse), we can\u2019t afford to be leaving this nutrient\u2019s potential on the table. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you need to know about omega-3s \u2014 and how to reliably fold them into your diet. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t A wellness newsletter to help you move better, think clearer and stay in the game longer. One email every Monday \u2014 we\u2019re building habits, not chasing hacks.<\/p>\n Omega-3s, explained<\/p>\n The polyunsaturated fat chain was discovered in the 1920s by George and Mildred Burr, a husband-and-wife research team. Mr. Burr\u2019s interest began<\/a> when he noticed deficiency syndromes in lab rats\u2026 even though they were eating all of the era\u2019s known vitamins.<\/p>\n This was the dawn of a new understanding amongst researchers: fats are critical for proper physiological function. You could sit and wonder how it took them so long to realize this, but here we are, a century later, and practically everyone you and I know still isn\u2019t getting the healthy fats they need.<\/p>\n There are three types of long-chain omega-3s: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The first two are commonly found together in fish and fish oils. The third is typically found in plant sources, like flaxseeds and walnuts.<\/p>\n All sorts of benefits from omega-3s<\/p>\n When included consistently in one\u2019s diet, omega-3s are basically a cudgel against cardiovascular disease. They lower triglyceride levels<\/a> (not-so-great fats that rumble around the blood and narrow the arteries), improve the quality of lipoproteins<\/a> and reduce the chronic inflammation that\u2019s so often underlying heart issues. My favorite omega-3 superpower: they make your platelets less \u201csticky.\u201d In other words, they reduce your risk of blood clots.<\/p>\n Omega-3s work wonders beyond the cardiovascular system, too, with well-established links<\/a> to cognitive agility, memory and delayed senescence. (They\u2019re also sneaky effective for eyesight<\/a>.) As one study found: \u201cHigher omega-3 index was associated with larger hippocampal volumes.\u201d That\u2019s science for: salmon builds your brain. <\/p>\n How to add omega-3s to your diet<\/p>\n Speaking of salmon \u2014 if you remember one thing here, remember this: omega-3s cannot be produced by the body. You\u2019ve gotta get them from somewhere else. Here are the top sources to up your intake:<\/p>\n Some thoughts here. First, I hope you like fish<\/a>. That\u2019s the single easiest way to hammer omega-3s. (My significant other and I actually stage a weekly Salmon Monday<\/a>, which always gets the week humming on a healthy note.) I recommend taking a peek at all the tinned fish brands out there these days \u2014 there are so many,<\/a> and they\u2019re like little works of art. The industry has had a real revolution<\/a>.<\/p>\n As for the oils, I\u2019m reminded of a week I spent in Iceland, where the locals were throwing back shots of cod liver oil at eight in the morning. It\u2019s nasty stuff, but kind of fun when you know it\u2019s doing you good. Of course, you could also just invest in a supplement subscription. Momentous<\/a> is pretty cool \u2014 their omega-3 soft gels<\/a> feature 1600 mg of EPA and DHA, and source the nutrient from wild-caught small fish in Norway<\/a>.<\/p>\n And one thing to note if you\u2019re plant-based \u2014 the plant sources of omega-3s only include ALA, which your body has to convert into EPA and DHA (the forms that actually do the heavy lifting for your heart and brain). But the body is wildly inefficient at this, as less than 5% of the nutrients get converted.<\/p>\n Nuts and beans are incredibly beneficial for a host of other reasons. But don\u2019t rely on them to meet your omega-3 needs. I would consider an algae oil supplement, like this<\/a> or this<\/a>. And something else to keep an eye on: Fatty15<\/a>, a company that\u2019s capsuled C15:0, a promising (and vegan) newcomer to the fatty acid conversation, which could improve cellular health. That said, the product is a bit pricey and more scientific research is needed before we crown it the next omega-3.<\/p>\n Final fatty thoughts<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Charge by InsideHook
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