You have probably heard that if you eat a fatty diet that you will gain weight. This has created the confusion over whether or not you should eat low-fat foods or just get rid of fat all together. Omega-3 fatty acids are forms of fat that are found in the foods that you eat, and they are considered a healthy and essential form of fat.
Calories
The composition of your diet does not necessarily lead to weight gain. You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn through physical activity and exercise. The experts at the Harvard School of Public Health reason that a calorie of carbohydrate is the same to your body as is a calorie of fat. Therefore too many calories in your diet will cause weight gain regardless of the source of those calories.
Types Of Fat
Three types of fat are commonly found in the human diet. These include saturated fats from animal products, trans fat from processed foods and unsaturated fat from nuts, fish and vegetable oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fatty fish, algae, krill and other seafood as well as in some plants and nut oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of essential fat that your body must get through your diet, so it is important that you include fish or other sources in your overall nutrition plan.
Healthy Fats
Generally speaking, unsaturated fats are healthy, and you should avoid saturated fat and trans fat because they can lead to high cholesterol levels and other health problems like heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids have health benefits such as a reduced risk for heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and they also decrease inflammation.
Considerations
Omega-3 fatty acids will not cause you to gain weight. Weight gain is influenced by your physical activity levels, genes and diet. In order to get the required amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and the health benefits associated with them, you should eat fish or other sources at least twice a week and consider taking a fish oil or flaxseed oil supplement.
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