Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Source: Wikipedia
Omega-3 fatty acids (also called ω−3 fatty acids or n−3 fatty acids[1]) are fats commonly found in marine and plant oils. They are polyunsaturated fatty acids with a double bond (C=C) at the third carbon atom from the end of the carbon chain. The fatty acids have two ends, the acid (-COOH) end, which is considered the beginning of the chain, thus "alpha", and the methyl (CH3) end, which is considered the "tail" of the chain, thus "omega". The nomenclature of the fatty acid is taken from the location of the first double bond, counted from the methyl end, that is, the omega (ω-) or the n- end.
Some of the potential health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation are controversial. They are considered essential fatty acids, meaning that they cannot be synthesized by the human body, and are vital for normal metabolism. Though mammals cannot synthesize omega−3 fatty acids, they have a limited ability to form the long-chain omega−3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20 carbons and 5 double bonds) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 carbons and 6 double bonds) when the diet includes the shorter-chained omega-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18 carbons and 3 double bonds). The ability to make the longer-chained omega-3 fatty acids from ALA may also be impaired in aging.[2][3] In foods exposed to air, unsaturated fatty acids are vulnerable to oxidation and rancidity.[4]
Common sources of omega–3 fatty acids include fish oils, algal oil, egg oil, squid oils, krill oil and some plant oils such as Sacha Inchi oil, Echium oil, flaxseed oil and hemp oil.
