Health and Beauty: 25 Best Sources of Omega-3s

Slide 1 of 26: <p>Here’s how to get your fill of this all-important nutrient that can protect your brain and help fight off inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted as a miracle nutrient that can help ward off chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, fight inflammation, and even protect your brain—a study published in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28466678">Nutritional Neuroscience</a> found that omega-3s may be beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease patients at the onset of symptoms.</p><p>There are three types of omega-3s: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA and EPA are found in fish and other seafood, while ALA is found in plant and plant-based oils. To calculate omega-3 content of the following foods, we consulted the USDA’s food database and added up the total of ALA, DHA, and EPA for each one.</p><p>With the health benefits of omega-3 widely known, people have been stocking up on supplements to get their daily intake. But you don’t need to hit up your local health food stores to get your fill; <a href="http://www.eatthis.com/omega-3-foods/">omega-3 supplements may be ineffective</a>, anyway. Instead, incorporate these foods into your diet to get the National Institutes of Health-recommended 1,100 milligrams for women (1,600 milligrams for men) serving per day.</p><p>Be sure to also check out our list of the <a href="http://www.eatthis.com/anti-inflammatory-foods/">30 Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods</a> to really ward off chronic disease.</p>

Here’s how to get your fill of this all-important nutrient that can protect your brain and help fight off inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted as a miracle nutrient that can help ward off chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, fight inflammation, and even protect your brain—a study published in Nutritional Neuroscience found that omega-3s may be beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease patients at the onset of symptoms.

There are three types of omega-3s: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA and EPA are found in fish and other seafood, while ALA is found in plant and plant-based oils. To calculate omega-3 content of the following foods, we consulted the USDA’s food database and added up the total of ALA, DHA, and EPA for each one.

With the health benefits of omega-3 widely known, people have been stocking up on supplements to get their daily intake. But you don’t need to hit up your local health food stores to get your fill; omega-3 supplements may be ineffective, anyway. Instead, incorporate these foods into your diet to get the National Institutes of Health-recommended 1,100 milligrams for women (1,600 milligrams for men) serving per day.