What Are Omega 3 Fatty Acids

The omega-3s found in fish get their name from their chemical structure: Like all organic molecules, these fats are made up of long chains of carbon atoms. In less-healthy saturated fats, all the possible bonds on these carbon atoms are occupied by hydrogen atoms (hence saturated). Monounsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, have one (mono) “open” carbon bond, while polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3s have several (poly). The first unsaturated spot in omega-3s occurs three from the end—therefore, “omega-3.”

How Much Omega 3s Do You Need

You can eat no fish and get none of its omega-3 fats and still stay perfectly healthy, especially if your overall diet is good. The U.S. has no official recommended dietary intake (RDA) or Daily Value for the omega-3s fats in fish, EPA and DHA, because they are not “essential” nutrients—that is, the body can make them, in limited amounts, from an omega-3 fat found in plant foods, called alpha linolenic acid.

Other health authorities across the world have issued EPA/DHA recommendations—which vary widely, reflecting the uncertainty about how much is needed for optimal health and disease prevention. For instance, several countries in Europe recommend 250 milligrams of EPA/DHA a day, on average, for healthy adults. Australia and New Zealand recommend less (160 milligrams), France more (500 milligrams). Russia tops the list, at 1,300 milligrams daily.

In 2016, the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s, a U.S.-based trade association, endorsed a daily recommendation of 500 milligrams. That’s in line with the recommendation of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

If you eat at least two servings of fatty fish a week—what the American Heart Association recommends for general heart health—it’s fairly easy to get an average of about 250 milligrams a day (more or less, depending on your selections and portion sizes). But Americans tend to favor less-fatty types such as canned light tuna, whitefish, and shrimp.

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