Deficiency in omega 3, of true dangers for health

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The omega 3 is essential for our organism. But they too often make defect in our plate. A deficiency that can have numerous consequences on health: cardiovascular unrests, depress, problems of vision. Zoom on the risks of a deficit in omega 3.

The omega 3 is essential fatty acids: the deficiency or the deficiency in one these greases have some reverberations import on the working of the human body.

Among the omega 3, the acidic alpha-linolénique (ALA) is indispensable, it is necessary to find it in food because the organism doesn't know how to manufacture it. Two others important omega 3, the EPA (acidic eicosapentaénoïque) and the DHA (acidic docosahexaénoïque) can be synthesized in quantity very limited from the Ala.

Our contributions in omega 3 are insufficient

The contributions recommended in ALA are of 1,6 g per day for the women and 2 g for the men. But the food naturally rich in omega 3 is rather little numerous: it is mainly about the oils of colza, walnut, and soy, for the Ala, and of the fat fish for the EPA and the DHA. In fact, our contributions in ALA are 2 to 10 times less elevated than the recommendations, according to the investigations of consumption. As for the contributions in EPA and DHA, there are big individual differences, and in some cases they can be almost hopeless.

A least protection against the cardiovascular illnesses

Different types of study permitted to understand the tie between omega 3 and cardiovascular system. There are more than 30 years, one had already noticed that the Eskimos, and the Japanese (notably the inhabitants of the island of Okinawa), big consumers of fish, had very little coronary thrombosis. Then, one made studies of intervention, as proposing régimes controled in lipids to people having already had a vascular accident.

Result: one knows henceforth that the Ala, the EPA, and the DHA, are all three cardiovascular protectors while accumulating different effects. They fluidify blood, and warn the formation of a blood clot (thrombosis). They reduce the triglycérides, whose excess is, in a least measure that cholesterol, a factor of risk. They have an anti-inflammatory action, that prevents to the arteries from altering themselves. They could also lower the arterial tension.

A deficiency in omega 3 exposes to more important cardiovascular risks thus directly.

A propensity to take the weight

Since some decades, the unbalance of the contributions in omega 6 (other family of essential fatty acids that it is in important quantity in food) and omega 3 became more pronounced, and the obesity didn't stop increasing. The tie of reason to effect is likely, even though the obesity is multi-factorial.

One showed that since the first childhood, the Ala blocks the multiplication of the adipose cells (oilers) in the organism, whereas the omega 6 makes the opposite. Some tests at the adult confirmed that a food rich in omega 6 made enlarge, while a food providing Ala sufficiently facilitates the loss of weight.

A bigger vulnerability to depresses it

The omega 3 is of the constituent of all cellular membranes, but they concentrate in the neurons. The DHA incorporates itself in the nervous system since the fetal life, to the third quarter of pregnancy, then during the first years of life. One showed thus that a good statute in omega 3 in the small childhood (dependent notably of the mom's statute) improves the IQ (intelligence quotient) of some points.

One also noticed that some depressed people present a statute in insufficient omega 3, and that while correcting these deficiencies, their mental state improves.

To the inverse, the women strong consumers of fish (rich in EPA and DHA) endure less baby blues after a childbirth.

Finally, some studies suggest that a good contribution of omega 3 would protect the people aged of the cognitive decline (loss of memory, difficulties to the concentration), or even of Alzheimer's illness.

An ocular fragility

The DHA is also one of the constituent principals membranaires of the cells of the retina. At the young child, a good statute facilitates the development of the vision and the visual acuteness. At the adult, a better report in the food between omega 6 and omega 3, and a contribution correct of DHA, would participate in the prevention of the DMLA, degeneration maculaire bound to the age, that can intervene since about fifty, and can lead to the blindness. A good contribution of EPA could participate in the treatment of the ocular drought, and of the glaucoma thanks to its anti-inflammatory action.

The omega 3 is not therefore for anything of the essential so-called fatty acids. And it is therefore important to have sufficient contributions in his/her food, to keep a state of mind of steel, a heart in shape and to preserve his/her capital health a long time!

2009-02-24