Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the essential fatty acids that may help prevent heart disease. Omega-3 also plays a role in brain function and can reduce inflammation, reducing the pain of arthritis. Omega-3 occurs naturally in nuts and seeds such as walnuts and flaxseed, in vegetable oils such as canola and soybean oil, and in fatty fish, including tuna, salmon and mackerel. But manufacturers have also begun to add omega-3 to other foods, including some brands of yogurt.
Yogurt and Omega-3 Nutrition
For people who don't consume a lot of fish, vegetable oil or nuts, supplements provide a way to get more omega-3 into their diets. The most popular supplements are fish oil capsules, but not everyone tolerates these well. One side effect of fish oil capsules is a fishy aftertaste in burps that can linger hours after you take the supplement. Yogurt is a popular food in many diets and adding omega-3 to yogurt would provide a way to get more of this nutrient into the diets of those who don't tolerate fish oil supplements.
Taste
One problem with adding omega-3 to yogurt is how to disguise the fishy or oily taste aftertaste. Marnie Rognlien, in pursuing a Master of Science in Food Technology at Virginia Tech in 2010, conducted experiments to determine how well people would respond to yogurt supplemented with omega-3. Most yogurts sold in stores are either unflavored or fruit flavored, but Rognlien devised a savory chili-lime flavored yogurt, reasoning the savory flavor would better disguise the omega-3 taste. She also tested the supplement in plain yogurt. Most of those surveyed rated the lime-chili yogurt as "neutral" though 44 percent said they liked it slightly.
Consumers
When researchers in Alberta, Canada looked at the buying habits of Canadians who purchased omega-3 supplemented foods in 2009, they found that people who had higher incomes and were more educated purchased the most omega-3 yogurt. While people older than 65 accounted for most of the purchases of omega-3 supplemented product, people with children were more likely to purchase omega-3 yogurt. The researchers theorized this was because children consume a lot of yogurt and parents saw the omega-3 yogurt as healthier.
How Much Omega-3
If you decide to purchase omega-3 supplemented yogurt, you might not get much actual omega-3 per serving. Kim Painter, a health reporter with USA Today, surveyed some omega-3 supplemented foods in 2007 and found one brand of omega-3 yogurt contained only 30 mg of omega-3 in a 1-cup serving. Compare that to 6 oz. of Atlantic salmon, with 3,650 mg of omega-3. The American Heart Association recommends that people with heart disease consume 1,000 mg of omega-3 daily, while others aim for 500 mg daily.
References
- Oklahoma State University; Foods, Health and Omega-3 Oils; Nurhan Dunford
- "USA Today"; Got Omega-3? Not So Much; Kim Painter; November 2007
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Virginia Tech; Yogurt as a Vehicle for Omega-3 Fatty Acid Enrichment; Marnie Rognlien; April 2010
- "Journal of Food Distribution Research"; Canadian Consumers' Purchasing Behavior of Omega- 3 Products; Darren Chase, et. al.; March 2009
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