Omega 3: Are you getting enough

Omega 3 fatty acids: Are you getting enough?

Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of — or who have — cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times a week. Fish is a good source of protein and doesn’t have the high saturated fat that fatty meat products do. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

The American Heart Association (AHA) also recommends eating tofu and other forms of soybeans, canola, walnut and flaxseed, and their oils. These contain alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), which can become omega-3 fatty acid in the body. Because the extent of this modification is modest and controversial, more studies are needed to show a cause-and-effect relationship between alpha-linolenic acid and heart disease.

There is no "fixed" recommended daily dose of omega-3 on which all the experts agree. Most generally accepted dose recommendadtions are based on clinical and observational studies conducted over many years.

If you mostly eat lean fish such as cod and plaice you will have to eat much greater amounts in order to get enough omega-3. Lean fish contains only approximately 0.2 grams of omega-3 per 100 grams of fish (corresponding to a small fillet of plaice). Fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel contain up to 15 times more omega-3. The greater the degree of processing, the less omega-3 is left in the fish. Marinated herring only contains approximately 1.5 grams per 100 grams of fish.

Learn more about omega-3 fatty acids

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Test yourself: are you getting enough omega-3?
How much fish have you eaten during the last two weeks? One portion of fish is equivalent to a medium-sized portion of hot food or the sandwich filling on two open sandwiches (100 grams of fish).

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