Here we go again with fat taking front row center in the news. It is well advertised that we should be getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, being more important than omega-6 or 9, as we actually have too much of those from other sources.
Deficiencies in omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to increases in crime, violence suicide, depression, bipolar disorder, inflammatory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases and so on.
All of this to say that the fat stores in different areas of the body actually contain different types of fat.
Consider the female body. The fat in the hip area contains more omega-3 than in the belly fat. It seems that women’s hips are reservoirs for omega-3s that can be used during pregnancy so that the baby’s brain and nervous system will develop normally.
Leave it to Mother Nature to give us that pear shape!
Researchers are just now realizing that fat plays a far more active role in our health than ever before. All those years of “fat free” replaced by synthetic ingredients may not have been doing our body such good!
I’ve written before about fat cells producing the hormone leptin. Leptin signals the brain to stop the feeling of hunger. It also triggers the burning of fat for energy rather than storage.
It is now known that an overabundance of omega-6 fats release compounds that promote inflammation which result in pain, arthritic joints, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other problems. It is no wonder that health in general has been declining and the only ones benefiting are those promoting drugs to try a problem that really was no problem in the first place before the big fat scare. A little knowledge is sometimes scary.
So it is very important that we have the right kind of fat stored in our body. And to get the right kind of fat it means eating the right kind of food. Fish is at the top of the chart as a good source of omega-3 with salmon and tuna topping the list.
Here is a short list of fish that is a good source of omega-3 oils: (serving size over 1 gram)
- Albacore tuna
- American eel
- Pink salmon
- Sardine
- Sockeye salmon
- Anchovy
- Atlantic halibut
- Atlantic herring
- Atlantic salmon
- Coho salmon
- Lake trout
- Pacific herring
But then we are also told not to eat fish because of mercury contamination. It’s like being between a rock and hard place. You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t!
However, there are sources of omega-3 rich products like chia which are readily available. Yes, remember that chia pet you watched grow a green crop as a child ? It would have better served you to eat it instead!
