Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, may reduce your risk of a variety of health conditions, including heart disease. These fatty acids play an important role in cognitive function and memory. Omega-3 deficiency can cause fatigue, memory problems, heart problems, mood swings, depression and poor circulation. Fatty fish and fish oil supplements provide the greatest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, but you can also get omega-3 from some plant-based foods.
Plant-based Omega-3 Sources
Plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids include vegetable oils such as soybean, rapeseed, canola and flaxseed oils and green vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach and salad greens. Flax, walnuts and walnut oil also contain omega-3 fatty acids. A ¼-cup serving of walnuts contains 627 mg of ALA acids and a ¾-cup serving of flax cereal contains 1,000 mg of ALA acids, according to the University of Connecticut's International Omega-3 Learning and Education Consortium for Health and Medicine.
Types of Omega-3
Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids contain alpha-linolenic acid, commonly referred to as ALA, while fatty fish and fish oil supplements contain eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. Your body partially converts ALA into EPA and DHA.
Health Benefits
Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and protect against arrhythmias. ALA fatty acids have a similar anti-inflammatory effect as EPA and DHA acids, but they may not provide as many other health benefits. Because your body converts ALA to EPA and DHA, however, ALA acids do provide indirect benefits. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, reduce risk for heart attack, stroke and cancer and relieve symptoms of ADHD.
Diabetics
Diabetics often have high triglyceride levels and low levels of HDL cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol. While EPA and DHA acids may improve diabetics' triglyceride and cholesterol levels, ALA acids do not have the same effect, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Furthermore, some diabetics cannot convert ALA acid to EPA or DHA. Thus, diabetics may need to take omega-3 fish oil supplements.
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