Question: I read a very interesting news article that David Beckham, an English soccer player, is taking Omega-3 but his wife does not like his halitosis, a kind of mouth odor, by taking the Omega-3. Likewise, many people take Omega-3 regularly for their health. What is Omega-3 and what does it do in our body?
Answer: Omega-3 is one type of fatty acid. As our body is made of many cells, they require nutrients to maintain health (Simopoulos, 2002). Omega-3, an essential nutrient, cannot be produced independently inside our body so people have to take this from foods or outside sources. In fatty acid nomenclature, the number 3 denotes a double bond at the 3rd carbon in the fatty acid chain (Figure 1).
Most importantly, Omega-6 promotes inflammation and Omega-3 counteracts the effects of inflammation caused by Omega-6. According to the research by Heller et al. (2006), maintaining a balance is significantly important in our body’s organs and organ systems such as musculoskeletal system, brain, and eyes. There are 2 types of Omega-3 : DHA and EPA. DHA is an integral building block of nerve cells and EPA replaces some of the Omega-6s in the membranes of cells, and in doing so reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines and increases inflammation-resolving cytokines (Omex, 2012). A cytokine is a substance that is involved in cell signaling to control immune system. Western diets are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids, and have excessive amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids (Simopoulos, 2002) . This unbalanced diet causes inflammation and further extreme disorders of autoimmune system. In order to balance these two, knowing which foods contain many Omega-3 and consuming them is crucial. One representative example is Salmon. People can eat salmon or otherwise take an Omega-3 supplement, like David Beckham did (Figure 2). It is important to have a well-balanced diet; while we know that Omega-3 is good for our health, taking too much may throw off the balance. I would say “Scientia est potential!; Knowing is a power!”
Figure 2. Sundown Salmon Oil with Omega-3 (URL: http://www.familyotc.com/Sundown-Salmon-Oil-1000mg-Omega-3-120-Softgels-p/cd4257580.htm)
- Deok Yong K.
References
- Heller, Axel R. MD, PhD, DEAA; Rössler, Susann Cand Med; Litz, Rainer J. MD; Stehr, Sebastian N. MD; Heller, Susanne C. MD; Koch, Rainer PhD; Koch, Thea MD, PhD (2006) Omega-3 fatty acids improve the diagnosis-related clinical outcome, Critical Care Medicine, 34(4): 972-979.
- Simopoulos, Artemis (2007) Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21(6): 495-505.
- Simopoulos, Artemis (2002) The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 56(6): 365-379
- Why Omega-3 essential for your health? (2012) Omex advertisement, Web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b46yLkYOO4
- Figure 1. (URL: http://www.eufic.org/article/en/artid/The-importance-of-omega-3-and-omega-6-fatty-acids/)
Biochemistry Q&A Blog 
This title caught my attention immediately. I have just started using more vitamins and supplements because I am sure my diet doesn’t contain all of the nutrients I need. My two main supplements are vitamin B and Omega 3 fatty acids. I habitually take omega 3 because I remember learning in bioc that omega 3’s can’t be synthesized by our bodies, it needs to be consumed. What I wasn’t sure about is why we need it. Do you know what happens to people who don’t in take enough, other than inflammation issues, and conversely, what benefits are there for people who do get enough?
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Very insightful. I always wondering if i should be taking Omega-3 but the bad odour kept me from using. I wonder if there are any randomized controlled clinical trials related to the efficacy of Omega-3
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