Eating foods that are naturally rich in the polyunsaturated fat known as omega-3 fatty acids has several benefits for your health. For example, MayoClinic.com says it may help protect against heart problems, may reduce blood pressure and may even protect against diseases like Alzheimer's. Stock your kitchen with these foods and you may notice a boost in your health.
Nuts
Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension, a division of the state university of New Jersey, recommends eating nuts. The extension ranks them as a "super food" thanks to their high amount of heart disease-reducing phytochemicals and alpha-linolenic acid, which they call the plant variety of omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts also give you fiber, minerals and tissue-building protein.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds aren't just a festive snack that soars in popularity around the Halloween and fall season. They're also high in omega-3 fatty acids, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Enjoy pumpkin seeds on their own as a homemade snack, or add them to dishes like salads.
Vegetable Oils
Some oils are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Switch out your traditional cooking oil for vegetable oils made from olives, soybeans or canola, suggests the National Institutes of Health. The next time you cook with them or making an oil-based dressing, you'll get a little boost in omega-3s.
Fish
Cold-water fish species are some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, according to MayoClinic.com. It advises eating such fish twice a week to experience "near-maximum benefits." One of the best fish species rich in omega-3s is wild salmon, according to human nutrition specialist Dr. Shirley Perryman at Colorado State University.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed, which you can enjoy as actual grain or pressed as an oil, is often consumed as a dietary supplement for its plant-based variety of omega-3 fatty acids, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Not only is it high in the fatty acids, but it also has antioxidants that the Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension reports may help prevent cancer.
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