There are a lot of holidays that, even though they’re beloved, the dates they fall on are difficult to remember. But Global Omega-3 Day, 03/03, isn’t one of them.
If you’re wondering why a nutrient has its own day, here are 3 reasons why you should care about omega-3 consumption every day.
#1: Omega-3 fatty acids don’t just contribute to cognitive health–they’re part of the building blocks of the brain itself.
About half of your brain is a combination of protein, carbohydrates, salts, and water. The other half of it? Fat. And about 10 to 20 percent of that fat is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid. DHA is a key component of the membranes of the nerve cells within your brain and assists in the transmission and regulation of the electrical impulses used to communicate between the various regions of the brain, and with your body’s nervous system.
But your brain needs a consistent supply of omega-3 for it to work properly. Omega-3 is an important contributor to cognitive development in infants and children and the cognitive health of adults. A recent study in the journal Neurology found that higher blood levels of omega-3 in healthy, middle-aged people were associated with better cognitive function and brain structure.
#2: Omega-3s help to regulate inflammatory processes throughout the body.
When you eat meat, poultry, and vegetable oils, you’re consuming a lot of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 is associated with inflammation and raised blood pressure. There are times when inflammation and rising blood pressure are necessary, healthy processes. But without proper regulation, they can contribute to cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disorders, and other chronic conditions.
That’s where omega-3s come in. While omega-6s are used to provoke inflammation and increase blood pressure, omega-3s are used by the body to reduce inflammation and blood pressure.
Omega-3 fatty acids are critical in allowing the body to properly regulate itself and maintain equilibrium.
#3: 80% of the world’s population isn’t consuming enough omega-3!
The shortage of omega-3 in human diets is a two-fold problem. First, omega-3s are mostly found in fish, and many people don’t like to eat fish, or don’t have adequate access to fish-based foods. Secondly, western diets have trended towards increased consumption of foods heavy in omega-6s, such as vegetable oils, margarine, and the meat of animals fed grain-based diets. Simultaneously, consumption of fish—as well as other foods that contain some omega-3s, such as nuts, eggs, avocados, chia, and flax—has declined.
Prior to the development of agriculture, human diets tended to have a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of about 1-2 to 1. Today, the average is 20 to 1.
Join us in celebrating Global Omega-3 Day today, and every day.
Now that you know the importance of omega-3s to human health, and the fact that most people aren’t getting nearly enough of it, you can see why we like to make a big deal about Global Omega-3 Day—and it’s this combination of the importance of omega-3s and the inadequate consumption of them that led us to develop Nutriterra, a revolutionary plant-based total omega-3 that can meet consumers’ nutritional needs, no matter their dietary preferences, allergies, or restrictions.
Nutriterra isn’t just amazing because it’s a plant-based source of complete omega-3 nutrition. It’s also a big deal because it can double the world’s supply of omega-3 nutrition using less than 5% of current canola-producing land!
Nutriterra is an easy, ethical, and amazing way for consumers to get the essential nutrition they need, and we hope that you’ll celebrate Global Omega-3 Day by joining us in our mission to increase the world’s access to complete omega-3 nutrition!