Omega 3 F.A is a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids

 

Introduction
Omega 3 F.A is a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids with numerous functions in the body (Breivik, 2007).  They are however not produced naturally in the body thus obtained from the diet that people consume. They are of three types which are most important; EPA (eicosapentaenoic acidDHA, (docosahexaenoic acid), and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) (Breivik, 2007).  The EPA and DHA are mostly found in animal algae and foods while ALA is found in plants.  A person’s body can convert ALA into EPA and later DHA though in very small quantities. Omegas 3s are fundamental components of the cell membranes in a person’s body.  They also provide calories that give a person’s body and have numerous functions in the immune system, heart, lungs, blood vessels and endocrine system.
Structure and sources of Omega-3
Its chain has eighteen to twenty two carbon atoms with a double bond of carbon-carbon existing at the 3rd carbon at methyl end of the chain. It has a molecular formula of C60H9206.  The figure below show its structure
Accessed from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/omega-3-Fatty-Acids
 Its source depends with its type. The ALA is the most common type of Omega 3 in our diet and it’s found in food such as canola oil, flaxseed oil, flax seeds, walnuts, chia seeds, soybeans and hemp seeds. EPA is gotten in animal products for example fatty fish, some microalgae and fish oil. DHA also occurs mainly in fish products such as their oils and fats, also in low quantities in meat, milk from animals that are fed with grass and eggs (Breivik, 2007).
The importance in human nutrition
The presence of Omega-3 in human nutrition has numerous advantages in human body health and brain. These include, fighting depression and anxiety. Omega-3 is able to reduce the symptoms of depression such as nervousness and constant worry. According to Jazayeri et., (2008), study EPA has been reports to be useful in fighting depression and as an antidepressant drug.  It can also improve the health of a person‘s eye.  DHA is structural component in eyes retina and when it is not sufficient in a human body vision problems that arises. However, by consuming enough Omega-3, the risk of developing macular degeneration is reduced which is mostly the lead cause of blindness and damaging ones eye permanently.  Omega-3 fatty acid also improves brain health more so during early life and during pregnancy.  It is an important component for infant’s development and brain growth. According to Singh, (2005), DHA accounts for 60% polyunsaturated fatty acids in the retina of a person’s eye and 40% of one’s brain.  Therefore infants fed DHA-fortified formula has better eyesight that those that are not. Also, women that enough Omega-3s during pregnancy is beneficial to the kids in that, they are born higher intelligence, their social and communication skills are better, the risk of development delay is reduced as well as reduced behavioral problems.

 Role in prevention heart disease
Omega-3 fatty acids prevent cardiovascular diseases particularly those obtained from marine products such as fish oil and fatty fish. They do so through altering prostaglandins production which prevents inflammation and reducing arrhythmias and improves endothelia function through promotion of the production of NO from endothelial cells.  Additionally, they can also be used to reduce heart rate because of their ability to inhibit sodium channels that are gated by myocyte voltage and extend the refractory time (DeFilippis et al., 2013).












REFERENCES
Breivik, H. (Ed.). (2007). Long-chain omega-3 specialty oils (Vol. 21). Oily Press.
DeFilippis, A. P., Blaha, M. J., & Jacobson, T. A. (2010). Omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular disease prevention. Current treatment options in cardiovascular medicine, 12(4), 365-380.
Jazayeri, S., Tehrani-Doost, M., Keshavarz, S. A., Hosseini, M., Djazayery, A., Amini, H., ... & Peet, M. (2008). Comparison of therapeutic effects of omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid and fluoxetine, separately and in combination, in major depressive disorder. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42(3), 192-198.
Singh, M. (2005). Essential fatty acids, DHA and human brain. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 72(3), 239-242.

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