Omega-3 fatty acids, which are also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, are long fat molecules that play essential roles in several biological processes. The term polyunsaturated means the long chains contain two or more double bonds between carbon atoms, which cause kinks in the molecules and result in unique chemical properties. Omega-3 fatty acids have numerous health benefits. Research so far has only uncovered part of the story of how omega-3 fatty acids work in the body.
Cellular Membranes
All cells in your body are enclosed in a cell membrane, which separates the interior of the cell from other cells or body fluids. Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the structural components that form cell membranes. Key characteristics of cell membranes, such as permeability, fluidity and flexibility are determined by the properties of the fatty acids that are used to construct those membranes. Diets low in particular omega-3 fatty acids cause cell membranes to have different properties, and eating foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, may cause cell membranes to take on new properties that are beneficial to your health, explains the Linus Pauling Institute.
Heart Function
One example of how different properties of cell membranes affect health may be found in heart function. Numerous well-documented studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids reduce heart disease, notes the Linus Pauling Institute. Doctors theorize that adding omega-3 fatty acids to the diet may slightly alter the membrane properties of the cells in the heart, causing the heartbeat to become more steady and less erratic, explains the Harvard School of Public Health. Erratic heart beats, also known as arrhythmias, are responsible for most heart-attack related deaths in the United States. Omega-3 fatty acids also lower blood pressure and improve the function of blood vessels, which may also be related to the effect on cell membranes.
Inflammation
Research has found links between omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. When an inflammatory response is triggered in the body, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in cell membranes are converted into chemical messengers that propagate the inflammatory response. Typical Western diets contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which are converted into molecules that pass on a strong inflammatory signal. In contrast, omega-3 fatty acids, which are often low in typical Western diets, are converted into molecules that pass on a weaker inflammatory signal. As a result, including more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet tends to decrease inflammatory signals, which often results in health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids also act directly to decrease inflammatory signals, by decreasing the expression of certain inflammatory genes, explains the Linus Pauling Institute.
Vision
One specific type of omega-3 fatty acids, called docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, is an essential component of the cell membranes of retina, the part of the eye that senses light. Researchers have recently found that DHA plays a critical role in synthesizing rhodopsin, one of the visual pigments involved in converting light entering the eye into a signal sent to the brain, the Linus Pauling Institute explains. Studies in animals suggest that DHA is required during fetal development, and low levels of DHA at this time can have life-long effects on vision.
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