What are Omega-3 EFAs?
Omega-3 EFAs are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have in common a carbon-carbon double bond in the 3rd carbon atom position from the end of the fatty acid. Omega-3 EFAs are ANTI-INFLAMMATORY in nature. A plethora of medical research has suggested that the lack of Omega-3 EFAs in the American diet is at the root cause of many inflammatory-based illnesses, e.g., cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid and auto-immune disease, mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disease, and the neurocognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and ADD/ADHD. Omega-3 EFAs are found mainly in certain plants (e.g., green-leafy vegetables, legumes, flax) and fish. However, the Omega-3 EFAs eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) are best utilized by humans for general health and well-being as well as disease prevention and treatment. Since humans poorly convert (<1%) of plant Omega-3s to EPA and DHA, these essential nutrients must be obtained from a fish source.
