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What are omega 3? What are their benefits? How to choose them? When and how to take them? Nutrimuscle answers your questions.
Contents
- What are omega 3?
- What are the differences between fish omega 3 and vegetable omega 3?
- What are the benefits of omega 3 for athletes and sedentary people?
- How to choose the right omega 3s
- When and how to take Nutrimuscle omega 3
What are omega 3?
Omega 3 essential fatty acids are lipids mainly derived from fish fats. Cod liver oil is probably the best known source of omega 3s. "Fatty" fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, etc.) are the richest in omega 3.
The active omega 3s are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). As they cannot be synthesized by the body, it is imperative that they are provided by our diet.
The minimum healthy intake recommendations are 250 mg of EPA and 250 mg of DHA per day.
On the other hand, a great imbalance has been observed in our modern diet between omega 6 and omega 3. Indeed, we do not eat enough omega 3 and too much omega 6. Hence the interest of supplementation with omega 3 to restore a good balance (one omega 3 for five omega 6).
What are the differences between fish omega 3 and vegetable omega 3?
Most omega 3 supplements come from fish oil. There are omega-3s from vegetable oils (rapeseed oil, linseed oil), but their rate of assimilation is lower.
At an equal concentration of EPA and DHA, the latter are better absorbed with the form of omega 3 from fish compared to the vegetable form. Therefore the quantities of EPA and DHA in the body will be greater in the case of supplementation with omega 3 from fish.
The other advantage of omega 3 fish is that they do not contain omega 6 as is the case for omega 3 from vegetable sources. However, the benefit of omega 3 supplementation is to restore the balance between omega 3 (deficit) and omega 6 (surplus).
What are the benefits of omega 3 for athletes and sedentary people?
Omega 3s have benefits for both health and athletic performance.
Considerable health benefits
Omega 3:
- Promote cardiovascular health;
- Strengthen the bones;
- Protect nerve cells from neuro-inflammation;
- Help to fight against depressive states (significant omega 3 deficiencies are generally found in depressed people);
- Serve as building material of the cell membranes of the eye.
The best natural fat burners
During a hypocaloric diet, supplementation with essential fatty acids is essential. Omega 3s provide the following benefits:
- Reduction of appetite. Omega 3s increase the secretion of appetite suppressant hormones such as leptin. During a meal, the intake of essential fatty acids is evaluated by sensors that are placed in the digestive system. If omega 3 intakes are insufficient, the brain encourages us to eat more to supplement these intakes.
- Increased fat burning. Omega 3 are thermogenic micronutrients. They stimulate the metabolism and thus make it easier to burn calories.
- Inhibition of fat growth. Good omega 3 intakes have a slimming action by taking the place of saturated fats which promote the expansion of adipose tissue.
A reduction in muscle catabolism
Regular intakes of omega 3 can reduce inflammatory reactions caused by cytokines (produced by the muscles during intense contractions). Thus, omega 3s reduce the intensity of aches and promote recovery, which allows the athlete to carry out training sessions less spaced out from each other.
Anabolic action with better muscle protein synthesis
Omega 3 doubles anabolism when amino acids and insulin are present in the blood. This anabolic stimulation by omega 3 is explained by the activation of an enzyme called mTOR (mammalian Target of Rapamycin). This enzyme has a role in increasing muscle mass. Thus, by promoting the activity of the mTOR enzyme, omega 3s allow faster muscle gain.
Improved cardiovascular health
Omega 3s help the heart beat more regularly, reduce heart rate and blood pressure. They also improve the smoothness of blood circulation.
For the athlete, the advantage of omega 3 is to reduce cardiac stress caused by repeated training. Daily intake of omega 3 helps reduce heart rate during intense effort. Thanks to this reduction, omega 3 can delay cardiac fatigue and therefore optimize sports performance.
How to choose the right omega 3s
Which omega 3 to choose? We guide you by telling you what crucial information you need to know to judge the quality of omega 3.
Many people are deficient in omega-3s. Indeed, unless you consume wild fish at least three times a week, the human body requires a good supply of omega 3.
The disadvantage of fish is that it is often expensive and contains heavy metals. The bigger the fish, the higher the level of heavy metals, which can poison the body.
The advantage of omega 3 in the form of a food supplement is that they respond to these issues. However, it is important to verify its origin.
Check the extraction method
To convert from fish to fish oil, the fatty acids that contain omega 3 must be extracted by removing protein and water. There are several ways of disposal:
- Cooking at high temperature, this process is inexpensive, but it degrades some of the omega 3.
- Cold extraction, this method is similar to that used for the extraction of olive oil. However, for fish oil, this process is not very efficient.
- Extraction at low temperature (less than 100°). This process eliminates microbes while preserving omega 3.
- Nutrimuscle has chosen quality, our omega 3s are extracted at low temperature.
Ethyl ester or triglycerides?
In their natural form, omega 3s are triglycerides, that is, three molecules of omega 3s are coupled with one molecule of glycerol. But, in order to concentrate polyunsaturated fatty acids, producers remove glycerol molecules and replace them with ethyl esters to crowd out other forms of lipids.
After this concentration phase, there are two possibilities: leave the omega 3s as they are, or remove the ethyl esters and put the glycerol back to obtain omega 3s in the form of triglycerides. The second, more expensive option is the best for getting quality omega 3s.
Nutrimuscle omega 3s are linked to triglycerides, in a natural form and not in the form of ethyl esters.
What is the expiry date?
Pay attention to the expiry date of your omega 3, if it is strangely close to the date on which you bought them, it means that they come from a batch with questionable freshness.
At Nutrimuscle, we source the freshest batches possible. We publish the producers' certificates of analysis on our product sheets to certify the freshness of our omega 3s.
The EPA/DHA balance
Some omega 3 supplements contain mostly EPA while others contain more DHA. This is not good because each has different benefits, which makes them both complementary.
Nutrimuscle omega 3s respect the EPA/DHA balance in order to obtain a complete supply.
The TOTOX Quality Indicator
The main quality index of omega 3 is called the TOTOX index (TOTal OXydation). It measures the total oxidation of omega 3, that is to say their degradation. The higher the TOTOX index, the lower the quality of the omega 3s. The maximum TOTOX level is set to 26.
A high TOTOX means that a large part of the omega 3s will oxidize easily and therefore be destroyed before they are even consumed. Worse still, oxidized molecules that are toxic will take the place of healthy omega 3 molecules. absorb poor quality omega 3s.
The TOTOX index of Nutrimuscle omega 3s is 2 for the lot currently on sale, so well below the maximum limit of 26. In addition, our omega 3s are stored in cold storage.
When and how to take Nutrimuscle omega 3
We advise you to take Nutrimuscle omega 3 preferably with meals. This will allow you to spread the doses of omega 3 over the day, which is better for the digestive system and also better for reaping the maximum benefits for cardiovascular health.
We recommend taking 2 to 4 g of omega 3 daily. We recommend taking Nutrimuscle omega 3 with a meal that itself contains fat, to ensure optimal absorption.
