Omega-3 fats also lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve blood vessel function, and, at higher doses, lower triglycerides and may ease inflammation, which plays a role in the development of atherosclerosis. ( 1) Such arrhythmias cause most of the 500,000-plus cardiac deaths that occur each year in the United States. These fats appear to help the heart beat at a steady clip and not veer into a dangerous or potentially fatal erratic rhythm. The strongest evidence for a beneficial effect of omega-3 fats has to do with heart disease. The human body generally uses ALA for energy, and conversion into EPA and DHA is very limited.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the most common omega-3 fatty acid in most Western diets, is found in vegetable oils and nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds and flaxseed oil, leafy vegetables, and some animal fat, especially in grass-fed animals.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) come mainly from fish, so they are sometimes called marine omega-3s.

Omega-3 fats are a key family of polyunsaturated fats. Likely due to these effects, omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions. They also bind to receptors in cells that regulate genetic function. They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. What makes omega-3 fats special? They are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. Foods high in Omega-3 include fish, vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, flaxseed oil, and leafy vegetables. These are essential fats-the body can’t make them from scratch but must get them from food. That isn’t the case for omega-3 fatty acids (also called omega-3 fats and n-3 fats).

The human body can make most of the types of fats it needs from other fats or raw materials. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution

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