What the body needs are healthy fats to lubricate. The most valuable is omega-3 fatty acids, which is an “essential” polyunsaturated fat. There are 3 types of omega-3 fatty acids, ALA, found in plant oils, EPA and DHA, which are found in marine life.
What essential refers to is that the body isn’t able to produce these nutrients on its own, so an external source is needed. What’s recommended is consuming natural foods which are rich in omega-3, such as fish at least 3 times a week, this rather than supplements for best results.
Fish that are rich in DHA and EPA includes anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel, wild salmon, and tuna.
9. Warms Cold Hands and Feet
If your hands or feet are constantly cold all the time, the body then may potentially be lacking adequate levels of omega-3 fatty acids. What these essential fatty acids are capable of, is helping the body regulate its temperature. Where these fats reside are just beneath the skin, which helps in insulating the body while retaining heat.
What these fatty acids also does is protects the inner core from extreme temperature conditions. This is important once you step outside from your regulated temperature home, to extreme cold or heat. Along with low omega-3 fatty acid levels, iron and magnesium deficiency can also make you feel cold.
8. Prevents Dry Skin
Another sign when it comes to the deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids, is dry itchy or flaky skin. These healthy fatty acids are needed to produce oil glands, which are the skin’s natural moisturizers in the body. What this results in is the maintenance of healthy skin cell membranes, while producing adequate amounts of lipids.
What lipids does is helps in stopping water from escaping through the pores of the skin, which in turn keeps it hydrated and smooth. The end result are less wrinkles, while preventing the aging process. Studies also confirm that fish oil can reduce sun-induced inflammation.
7. Delays Weight Gain
Once the diet begins to lack the recommended amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, what that may effect is ones effort in losing weight. So what’s recommended is increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, while reducing carbohydrate intake. What lower carbohydrate intake does is forces the body to use the stored fat for energy.
What omega-3 fatty acids can also do is lead to a higher resting metabolic rate, while potentially speeding up cell activity, which means the body burns more calories. These healthy fatty acids are also capable of suppressing appetite, this because they effect the leptin levels in the body, a hormone that moderates appetite.
