Omega 3 Deficiency

While your diet has become quite different in many ways from your ancestors, particular elements stand out as having changed more than others. Udo Eramus, a nutritional researcher and the author of the book of lipid biochemistry "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill," believes that omega 3 deficiency exists in more than 99 percent of the population.

Omega 3s

Omega 3s, sub-groups of fats that nutritionists classify as polyunsaturated, are essential oils. This means that you must consume them on a regular basis as your body cannot produce them itself. Good sources of omega 3s include oily fish and flaxseed oil, although walnuts and pumpkin seeds also offer the nutrient in lower concentrations.

Omega 3 Deficiency

Charles Poliquin, the Canadian strength coach who has trained 16 Olympic medal-winning athletes, looks at the diets of all clients who enter his facility. He finds that, almost without exception, they require an increase of omega 3 oils in their diet. The coach credits such changes with a variety of benefits all over the body.

Benefits

Each cell requires an ongoing supply of omega 3. Dr. Joseph Mercola, an Illinois-based physician who has written a number of books on alternative approaches to health care, explains that the oils can improve mental function and cellular sensitivity, reduce inflammation and increase the rate of fat burning throughout the body.

Sources

Although you can obtain oils from both plants and animals, researchers from the University of Maryland Medical Center point out that different forms exist in the different sources. Plants provide alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA, which does little directly but can convert in the body into EPA and DHA. These compounds, known as eicosapentanoic acid and decosahexanoic acid respectively, takes responsibility for the benefits listed above. Oily fish like salmon, herring and mackerel provide pre-formed EPA and DHA.

Expert Insight

Erasmus explains that, although fish oils represent the most potent form of omega oils gram-for-gram, he recommends organic, cold-pressed flaxseed oil to overcome omega 3 deficiency. He prefers this form due to the lower concentration of toxins, which becomes possible due to the increased control farmers have in the growing condition of these plants compared to the increased pollution of the world's oceans.