Plant-Based Omega Fatty Acids

Omega fatty acids are essential for us to stay healthy and the body does not produce them, so we have to get them in our diet. They have many uses in the body:

• Healthy cell membranes
• Development and function of the brain and nervous system
• Regulation of blood pressure and liver function
• Immune and inflammatory responses
• Regulate blood clotting
• Transport and breakdown of cholesterol
• Support healthy skin and hair

Omega fatty acids don’t have to come from fish oil. They are also found in the oils from some plants. Supplements made from plant-based omega fatty acids may even be superior to fish oil supplements because the plant oils are less likely to go rancid as fast.

I recently learned that fish oil supplements may have another problem. They may be contaminated with anything that the fish ate, like mercury or PCB contamination. Apparently, the fish oil supplements need to be taken with the same caution as eating some fish. I have not heard of any similar problems with plant-based omega fatty acids.

Click here to find out more about Nikken’s Omega Green + DHA (USA), a plant-based omega fatty acid supplement. Click here for Omega Green + DHA in Canada.