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Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for your overall health. These “good” fats play crucial roles in many processes inside your body and may even protect against chronic conditions like heart disease, arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
Therefore, eating superfoods rich in omega-3s can lead to a healthier heart, stronger bones and a sharper mind as you age.
Check out some of the most touted health benefits of eating foods rich in omega-3s:
Omega-3s may help protect against heart disease
Omega-3s are good for your heart and blood vessels. For one, they help reduce triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood. High triglyceride levels are typically linked to obesity and a higher risk of heart disease. Plus, omega-3s help blood vessels relax, allowing blood to flow better. This also helps ward off heart disease.
Omega-3s support bone and joint health
Multiple studies have found that the omega-3s in fish and fish oil can help relieve arthritis, a chronic condition that causes your joints to swell. Experts suggest that the positive effects of omega-3s against arthritis are likely linked to their anti-inflammatory properties.
Omega-3s can also strengthen your bones by boosting the amount of calcium in them. In turn, this may reduce your risk of osteoporosis, a disease marked by brittle bones prone to fractures.
Omega-3s promote a healthy pregnancy
Experts advise pregnant and breastfeeding women to eat more foods rich in omega-3s as part of their balanced diets because the fats act as building blocks of the fetal brain.
In particular, the omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is considered an essential nutrient for
children’s growth and development.
Omega-3s keep your eyes healthy
DHA is a major component of your eyes. In fact, high levels of it are naturally present in the retina, a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of your eyes. This is why omega-3s are thought to play a critical role in eye health.
One study by Australian researchers showed that omega-3 supplementation helped lower intraocular pressure, which is the major modifiable risk factor for glaucoma. Glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases that usually result in vision loss over time.
Omega-3s may help reduce mortality risk
High levels of omega-3s are associated with a lower risk of death. In fact, studies investigating the link between heart disease and diets rich in seafood, a top source of omega-3s, have shown that people who eat seafood have a lower risk of death from heart disease than people who rarely or never eat seafood.
Omega-3s may help prevent prostate cancer
Prostate cancer affects one in nine men in the U.S., making it one of the most common kinds of cancer. But the good news is that omega-3s can help lower prostate cancer risk, according to the results of experimental studies on fish oil, which contains high concentrations of omega-3s, and prostate cancer risk.
Omega-3s help prevent age-related mental decline
DHA doesn’t just support fetal brain development. It can also prevent age-related mental decline. In fact, DHA is said to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys vital cognitive functions.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends getting between 1.1–1.6 grams (g) of omega-3s every day. You can easily hit that requirement by adding the following superfoods rich in omega-3s to your daily diet:
Omega-3s help keep your heart, bones and brain in good shape. They also protect you from developing chronic conditions that may affect your quality of life as you age. To reap the benefits of these good fats, eat more foods rich in omega-3s as part of a balanced diet.
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