Omega-3 is a healthy fat that is part of a family of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for development and maintenance of a healthy heart, brain and other biological functions, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The body does not make omega-3 fatty acids. Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include oils from fish and some plants and nuts, according to MayoClinic.com.
Fish
Eicosapentaenoic acid, also called EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, also called DHA, are two types of omega-3 fatty acids that are found in oil from cold-water fish such as halibut, salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some types of fish, such as king mackerel, swordfish, shark and tilefish, are contaminated with high levels of mercury, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, also called PCBs. Removing the skin and surface fat from fish before cooking can reduce the exposure to some of the contamination. A typical North American diet provides approximately 50 mg of EPA and 80 mg of DHA per day, according to Omega-3 Institute.
According to the American Heart Association, EPA and DHA can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in healthy people, and decrease abnormal heartbeats and triglycerides, lower blood pressure and slow the progression of plaque in people who have heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends that people without coronary heart disease eat a variety of fish at least twice weekly, whereas people with documented coronary heart disease should eat about 1g of EPA and DHA preferably from fish, or a nutritional supplement in capsule form.
Plant Foods
Some vegetable oils, such as soybean, olive and canola, linseed and flaxseed, and nuts, such as English walnuts, contain alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid, according to MayoClinic.com. The University of Maryland Medical Center says omega-3 fatty acids are also found in pumpkin seeds and oil, perilla seed oil, and in marine plants such as algae and krill. A typical North American diet provides approximately 2 to 3 g per day of alpha-linolenic acid, according to Omega-3 Institute. Alpha-linolenic acid protects the heart against fatal coronary heart disease by converting to EPA and DHA.
Supplements
Fish oil supplements are also a dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids that are usually made from salmon, halibut, herring, mackerel, tuna, cod liver, whale blubber or seal blubber, according to MedlinePlus. These supplements also may contain small amounts of vitamin E to preserve the quality, and are sometimes combined with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C or D, and iron or calcium. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends to choose supplements that contain ingredients free from heavy metal contamination, particularly from lead, cadmium and mercury. The American Heart Association recommends that people who need to lower triglycerides should take a supplement of 2 to 4 g under direction of a physician; taking more than 3 g of omega-3 fatty acids can cause excessive bleeding in some people.
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