Dietary fat is broken down into fatty acids in our body. Fatty acids are important for many bodily functions including energy production, making cell membranes, and for signaling the inflammatory cascade. Among the several types of fatty acids, omega-3s have special benefits. Many people take supplements containing them in the form of fish oil. But, why? Can we get omega-3s in food? Why do we need them? How are they beneficial?

In today’s episode, we introduce the omega-3 fatty acids. We discuss their naming convention, their health benefits, and we single out a few of the main players.

Today on The Lab Report:

• 2:55 What is a fatty acid and where do those names come from?  
• 7:05 The benefits of omega-3s
• 8:25 Dietary sources
• 12:05 Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
• 14:00 Supplementing with fish oil
• 17:35 Better Know a Biomarker
• 22:10 Question of the Day
  • How do we decide which fish oil supplement is best?

Additional Resources:

NutrEval

Metabolomix+

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