How Much Omega-3 Does a Body Need

By Dan Ho

Believe it or not, your body requires more omega-3essential fats than you even realize. Keep in mind the word essential means the body cannot produce it on its own. This means all essential fats, including omega-3's, must be obtained from our diet and our diet alone.

So if you aren't eating enough foods with omega-3, you simply aren't getting enough.

Having said that, the answer to the question: how much omega-3 fatty acids does a body require depends on the body. Certain people require more than others. The very young require a tremendous amount of omega-3's because during the stages of brain development, the brain uses up a great deal of omega-3's. Elderly people need more omega-3's too because their health is in decline. Omega-3 fats may help improve cardiovascular health and help keep the mind sharp.

Now, let's get into specifics. Many natural health experts believe a typical adult needs between 2-4 grams of omega-3 fats per day. That's a lot. That's a lot more than most people in the Western world are currently taking in daily. But humans used to consume this amount.

You should understand that back over the last million years as humans evolved, we ate nuts, seeds, wild game, wild fish, all of which were extremely abundant sources of omega-3 fats. But now, the meats we eat are not grass-fed; they are grain-fed. This has caused the cattle, chicken, lamb, etc. to have very low omega-3 content. Fish are farm raised now and fed pellets, causing their omega-3 content to be low. And so on and so forth.

So unless you are eating a perfect diet, the answer to the question: how much omega-3 fatty acids does a body require is about 2-4 grams, which is the equivalent of 2,000mg to 4,000mg per day.

And the only way to really get this amount per day now is to take a purified fish oil supplement. A purified fish oil supplement should provide up to 1,000 mg (1 gram) per capsule of omega-3 fats. If the serving size is two per day, you are now at 2 grams per day. And then you should try to get the rest from your diet by eating as healthy as possible.

Dan Ho is chief editor of http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com Visit us now to learn more about the omega-3 fish oil product we personally use after extensive research.

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