Omega 3- Introduction Type, Sources, Benefits

It all depends on the form of fats we are taking. All fats have similar chemical structure like a chain of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms. The distinguishing factor is the length, shape of the carbon chain as well as the number of hydrogen atoms connected.

The worst type of fats is the category of trans fat which is the byproduct of processes like hydrogenation. This process is usually used for conversion of healthy oils into solids preventing them from becoming rancid. Till now there is limited evidence of trans fat having health benefits where there is safe level of consumption. 

Early in the 20th century, trans fats were mainly found in vegetable shortenings or solid margarines. Slowly food vendors discovered novel ways of using partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, and being cheap it started appearing in everything from all kinds of junk food including French fries, pastries, commercial cookies. Currently trans fats is now banned in US but unfortunately it is used widely in developing countries including India despite high nutritional awareness. The outcome is the dawn of a global pandemic in the form of obesity, a worldwide disease present latently in most people, resulting from accumulation of SFA (Saturated Fatty Acids) in the cells causing lipotoxic damage.

But, not all fats are unhealthy; we have a wide range of good fats which include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These are healthy fats showcasing multiple physiological advantages. Moreover, in contrast to saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids have been reported to neutralize SFA induced cellular damage (Liu et al., 2023).

The 2 major classes of these fatty acids are the omega 3 and omega 6. These are the essential fatty acids not produced by our body and has to be taken externally. On the other hand, we have Omega 9 which is a monounsaturated fatty acid, equally important but they are non essential because our body can produce these fatty acids on our own. 

These omega 3 fatty acids are further differentiated into alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) where ALA has 18 carbon atoms while EPA + DHA are considered long chain omega 3s as EPA has 20 carbon atoms while DHA has 22.  

Let’s understand where these names come from, diving deep into organic chemistry. 

 PUFAs consist of long chains of carbon atoms and are usually differentiated from saturated or MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) by the presence of 2 or more double bonds between the carbons present in the fatty acid chain. Omega 3 has a C-C double bond and thus often referred to as n-3s while Omega -6 fatty acids have a C-C bond which is 6 carbon atoms away from the methyl end of the fatty acid chain and hence this nomenclature. 

One such important concept is the omega 6: omega 3 ratio. This ratio refers to the proportion of Omega 6 fatty acids in comparison to omega 3 fatty acids present in certain food items. To provide maximised health benefits, the amount of omega 3 needs to be higher than omega 6. An imbalance in the omega 6: omega 3 ratio promotes the pathogenesis of various disorders like cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Why this ratio needs to be maintained ?

 In scientific language, consumption of high Omega 6 sources increases the rate of conversion of linoleic acid to arachidonic acid resulting in inflammation. On the contrary Omega 3s alone causes improvement in many physiological responses involving the arteries, blood and heart improving cardiovascular health elevating overall health outcomes. 

High amounts of PUFA leads to high omega6-omega 3 ratio mainly found in western diets where the ratio is usually 15:1. Moreover, studies show that currently the diet of most people contain omega 6 rich food and the consumption of food rich in omega 3 are lowest, calling for external supplementation through heart health supplements as well as brain health supplements. Omega 6 intake should be reduced as they are pro-inflammatory while omega 3 s are anti-inflammatory and should be incorporated more for a balanced meal.   

Omega 3s are found in many food sources naturally and their daily intake would help us avoid any deficiency disorders which call for EPA DHA supplements if intake is not met.