Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
Not all fats are bad fats. The good ones include the
fats in the polyunsaturated fatty acid family, and these are known as 'essential fats', or
more properly 'essential fatty acids'. These "healthy" fats are vital to health
and cannot be made by the human body - they must be obtained from diet. Omega-3 essential
fats are found almost only in fish and seafood.
Recognition of the importance of the omega-3s was a major nutritional
break-through that has since generated a great number of international scientific research
programmes. Results have clearly shown that not only do they have an essential role in
brain development in the unborn and newborn and are vital to the healthy maintenance and
function of the body - they can also help protect long-term good health and prevent, or
even treat, a number of complaints and diseases.
A study funded by the Federal and NSW State
Government and carried out by the Institute of Respiratory Medicine in Sydney,
Australia, has shown that consumption of oily fish is associated with a reduced
risk of asthma in childhood. The report suggests that an increased consumption
of oily fish may reduce the prevalence of asthma in children. The study found
that the consumption of canned and processed fish was not associated with the
reduced risk of asthma.
