The Benefits of Omega-3

• Improved mental health
• Supports eye health
• Promotes brain health during pregnancy
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Reduces symptoms of ADHD
• Fights inflammation
• Fights autoimmune conditions
• Improves mental disorders
• Boosts cognitive health
• Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s
• May help prevent Cancer
• Improves symptoms of asthma
• Supports liver health
• Improves bone and joint health
• Alleviates menstrual pain
• May improve sleep
• Improves skin health
• Reduced blood pressure

The benefits of omega-3 sometimes feel infinite, it really is nature's gift that keeps on giving. Unfortunately, we now no longer get the amount of omega-3 that we need to function properly, let alone function optimally. Therefore, supplementing with this incredible nutrient is essential, as it nourishes, soothes, supports and boosts the function of the trillions of cells all over our bodies to keep us ticking along and feeling our best.

What Is Omega-3?

Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated long chain fatty acid that is found predominantly in fish. Our bodies do not manufacture this nutrient, unlike some vitamins and minerals such as transforming sunlight into the essential Vitamin D, and therefore it must come from external sources, i.e. our diet and supplementation.

It would be amazing if we were all getting our essential dose of omega-3 from our diet, but realistically you would need to be eating high-quality, oily fish 5-6 times a week which isn’t practical or particularly likely for anyone. How often are you eating wild-caught salmon? How often do your kids request sardines for dinner? Even if this was your normal diet, unfortunately the quality of our food is heavily reduced, meaning that the omega-3 content is not as high, whilst our fish and seafood contain high levels of toxins and heavy metals, which hinder your health rather than optimising it.

Remember, humans have been around for hundreds of thousands of years, yet our diet has drastically changed in just the last 100 or so years, thanks to industrialised agriculture and increased food processing practices. As a result, our omega-6 is HIGH but our omega-3 is largely deficient.

What Is The Difference Between Omega-3 and Omega-6?

Whilst Omega-3 is found predominantly in seafood, omega-6 is found in vegetable oils, seeds, and nuts.

We need both Omega-6 and Omega-3 in balanced amounts, however, our modern diets have resulted in the majority of us having too much Omega-6 and too little Omega-3. When this imbalance occurs, health problems start.

In the UK, we are recommended to eat at least two portions of fish per week, which results in roughly 200mg of EPA and DHA per day. This is the MINIMUM to maintain health, and its still not optimal. If you wanted to feel the true benefits of Omega-3, you would need to increase this intake significantly. For example, the EFSA suggests TEN TIMES this amount to help maintain normal blood pressure.

Omega-6 and Omega-3 are both important fatty acids, but we shouldn’t have too much Omega-6, because this can cause our cells to react and harm the rest of our body. Balance between omega-3 and omega-6 is key.

The ideal ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is closer to a ratio of 3:1. Our ancestors used to consume a ratio of 1:1, which is far from the situation in the modern day. The average ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 today is believed to be around 17:1 but has been recorded as high as 30:1! This ratio is incredibly problematic for our health because our vital organs depend on Omega-3 fatty acids to function. Not only are we not getting enough Omega-3 but the absorption of what we ARE consuming is inhibited by this disparate ratio between Omega-3 and Omega-6.

The reason for this ratio is likely due to people not eating enough high-quality oily fish and eating too much food that has been heavily processed with, or fried in, refined vegetable oils (which are bad for are health for many other reasons too!). 

The ratio of 1:1 is probably unobtainable, the current suggested ratio is 1:9 for Omega-3 to Omega-6, or an optimal ratio of 1:3.

How Much Omega-3 Do We Need?

This depends on who you ask, the recommendations span from 500mg to 3000mg, however it is likely that you will need to go towards the higher end of that range if you are not consuming at least 1 portion of wild-caught, oily fish per day.

You may also require more Omega-3 if your diet consists of a lot of processed foods and vegetable oils, as you will need to address the imbalance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 by supplementing with more Omega-3. 

So, basically, everyone needs more Omega-3. Love salmon? Ok brill, fill your boots with lots of different WILD salmon dishes… But hang on, why is the NHS recommending pregnant women only eat a MAXIMUM of two portions of oily fish per week? This is due to the concerns of environmental toxins that have found their way into our fish – unfortunately this is unavoidable, even in wild fish. Farmed fish can contain even more harmful toxins and pollutants, as they are often worryingly full of antibiotics and contain only half the amount of omega-3s that wild fish contain.

How to Get Enough Omega-3 Without The Toxicity

The best way to get your daily dose of omega-3 is to supplement with a high-quality supplement. I have used the Omega-3 capsules religiously, and I love them so much I have started stocking them at Synergised! You guys know I only promote products that has synergy with Synergised’s ethos and that I have tried and tested myself, so the product has got to be REALLY in line with this for me to stock it.

The Omega-3 fish oil capsules contain a highly concentrated source of Omega-3 EPA and DHA. These capsules use the best sources of fish oil: cold-water, fatty fish and smaller species such as sardines or mackerel. Smaller species are better because they have a shorter lifespan, and therefore have less time to accumulate a large toxic build-up.

These capsules are easy to take every day and, if you don’t like the taste of fish, easy to swallow without trace of taste! The Omega-3 daily capsules offer 1460mg omega-3 per day, with both EPA & DHA and no added ingredients. This is the equivalent to a whole tin of sardines!

The capsules are made in the UK from sustainably sourced Norwegian fish oil, which is independently certified pure and fresh. You can even see the test results and IFOS certification – nothing to hide there!

You can purchase these supplements directly from Synergised’s website. However, I recommend purchasing the Daily Basic Kit, which contains a month’s worth of supplementation which nutritionally gives you EVERYTHING you need to maintain good health on a daily basis. The bundle contains 3x Daily Essential Formula and 1x Omega-3, giving you a month’s worth of foundational supplements. You don’t need to be purchasing loads of different jars of supplements from multiple websites, or researching the best multivitamins – everything you need is right here, saving you cupboard space and time!

References:

1. Simopoulos, AP. (2006) Evolutionary aspects of diet, the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and genetic variation: nutritional implications for chronic diseases. Biomed Pharmacother. (9): 502-7.