The media is saturated with the message that we need to increase our intake of omega fatty acids because, we are told, ‘they’re good for us’. The general consensus is that we need omega fats not just for heart and brain function, but for many other health areas. However, not all omegas offer these benefits and there seems to be a lack of any clear explanation as to what omega fats are, which ones we really need, what the best vegetarian sources are, and why we should be getting more of them in our diet.
In this omega guide we:
- Cover types of omega fatty acids
- Introduce echium seed oil: a new and unique alternative for vegetarians and vegans that is superior to current plant sources of omega-3, -6 & -9
- Compare echium seed oil with other popular sources of vegetarian omega fats
- Outline the health benefits attributed to echium seed oil and compare these with other plant sources of omegas
What is omega-3?
Omega fatty acids refer to a class of fat that we need to include in our diets to avoid becoming deficient. Whilst our bodies can manufacture certain types of fat, we do not have the ability to make them all. However, the term ‘omega fats’ should really be clarified; they are the name of a family of fat or ‘fatty acids’ of which there are many types, each with specific functions, but some having quite different and more important functions than others.
