Omega 3

[Patch]

Can anyone tell me how I get omega 3.
I'm a 100% raw and someone said to me how do you make sure you get enough omega 3. I'm guessing avocados have it and certain nuts but I'm not sure on this one.

[RawSar]

phytoplankton, a marine plant (this is what the fish eat and where they get their omega-3 from. You can supplement)
Walnuts
Flaxseeds

How do you know if you are low on omega-3 or if you are getting too much ??

Tests.

[rkk]

There is also flax oil with DHA that is sold in health food stores, and also vegan algae oil DHA supplements (though I don't know if those are considered raw or not). I include those as part of my raw lifestyle, though I don't know how strict you are about what you classify as 100% raw. If you do take supplements, then they are great choices.

[Patch]

I'm not sure I am low, can you tell that from a blood test? I was just thinking perhaps I could be as I've no idea how I get it. There is so much talk, well here in New Zealand anyway about how omega 3 is a must for a healthly heart. Not listening to hard to what they say but it has got me thinking. I'm guessing olive oil doesn't have it in.

[spicyfull]

Most think it only comes from Sea Creatures but we can obtain it from Seeds, Flax being one of the main ones.

[Springtime]

I'm not sure I am low, can you tell that from a blood test? I was just thinking perhaps I could be as I've no idea how I get it. There is so much talk, well here in New Zealand anyway about how omega 3 is a must for a healthly heart. Not listening to hard to what they say but it has got me thinking. I'm guessing olive oil doesn't have it in.

There is no way (yet) of testing wheather you are high or low in omega fatty acids, nor is there a recomended daily intake.

The omega hype originates in a danish research program where they studied health related issues in Inuits in Greenland. What they found was that heart disese was nearly non-existant, even though they didn't seem to eat all that healthy (compared to the norm). But then researchers started to look at all the fish these people were eating, and found the omega fatty acids.
Then they did extensive research on if these fats affected heart disease and found that they did in one way or the other prevent it.

But. Omega 3's are still a very debatable issue. It's become a hype and everyone's raving about it, but there is no way of telling wheather you are too high or too low. There are no set values, so even though we know it's important that our bodies get these types of fats, we have no idea if we're deficient or not.
I mean ofcourse you can look at a persons diet and see wheter she eats a lot of them or not, but you can't scan your blood and get a result.

I have 1-2 tbsp of Udo's oils (flax seed- and a whole bunch of other oils as well) every day, and i feel great.

Peace

[Colorawdo girl]

This is funny. Hype I wondered? I was at a health fair and the lady selling Fish oil really got all questioning and distressed when I said I did not consume fish oil. I found it amusing inside of myself.

Another thing I find amusing too is that big truck that goes down the highway and has a sad fish on it. It says "meat without feet". Be nice if it added "but with feelings".

Will get omega how I get em n be just fine!!

[snoops]

I think it is not so much that we are deficient in omega 3's as SAD eaters have far to high levels of omega 6's. Before grain fed beef and so much processed food our ratios were OK. Then we started feeding beef corn and grain and eating processed food and now we (well the general public) get way way too many omega 6's.

[Revvell]

I always find it interesting how people focus on ONE nutrient (especially if they're selling THAT one in a bottle, jar, package ~ dead stuff). Where do they come up with these questions? They read something in a book somewhere and then become obsessed with telling people they NEED this or that and where are they getting it and blah, blah, blah!

If they're cooked-food people, I'll just return with my question ~ since you kill all your food by cooking it, where do you get ANY nutrients? Do you use a microwave? Do you know that microwaves not only kill ALL the nutrients but also change the molecular structure of the food so your body doesn't recognize it as food and turns it into a degenerative disease? Baffle 'em with YOUR knowledge. :D

[Ilse W.]

The importance is the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6, which should be about 1:2. The natural diet of humans, fruits, greens, some seeds and nuts, results in that ratio. I tracked my food intake for a number of weeks on nutritiondata.com and I was pretty close to exactly that ratio on a daily basis. On the typical American cooked diet, the ratio is 1:10-20. :( Keep eating raw and you don't have anything to worry about.

[Raw Angel Mom]

Hemp seed
Pumpkin seed

I believe that oil also

I am sure you can find plenty of source of this valuable oil in vegan food