Micah Stanley
In addition to many other positive health effects, omega-3 fatty acids also ensure a healthy intestinal flora and thus strengthen the immune system.
Omega-3 fatty acids increase the diversity of the intestinal flora
It is not always possible to explain why one substance benefits the body and another harms it. One only observes certain effects on well-being, but often does not know the underlying mechanism of action.
This is completely different from omega-3 fatty acids because many mechanisms of action are known for these fatty acids. They inhibit chronic inflammatory processes, regulate cholesterol levels, improve the flow properties of the blood, counteract cancer, and much more.
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports in September 2017 showed an enormous expansion of omega-3’s own spectrum of effects. The fatty acids also seem to take care of a healthy gut by promoting the diversity of the gut flora – according to Dr. Ana Valdes, Professor, and Lecturer at the University of Nottingham, where the research was conducted.
The higher the diversity of the intestinal flora, the better the health
The term diversity refers to the number of different intestinal bacterial strains. The health of the intestinal flora is therefore not only assessed by the number of bacteria themselves, but rather by the number of strains present.
A high diversity of the intestinal flora indicates a very good condition of the intestinal flora – and a good condition of the intestinal flora in turn is a high guarantee for good general health. Because only with healthy intestinal flora do we have optimal digestion, the best supply of nutrients, good detoxification, and of course a powerful immune system.
It may be precisely this positive influence on the intestinal flora – together with the anti-inflammatory effect – that leads to the fact that omega-3 fatty acids have so many health benefits. Because whether it is the cardiovascular system, the blood, the bones, the brain or the joints – omega-3 fatty acids ensure more health and well-being in all these areas of the body.
Dwindling diversity of the intestinal flora leads to diseases
If the intestinal flora loses its diversity, i.e. if it only consists of a few intestinal bacterial strains, pathological changes can occur in the intestine. Irritable bowel syndrome can be the result of colon cancer.
“The human intestine is currently the focus of medical research, as it is increasingly being observed that many health problems can be traced back to a diseased intestinal flora,” explains Dr. Valdes.
“Human digestive systems are home to many trillions of microorganisms. Most are useful to humans, meaning they live in symbiosis with them. They aid in digestion, support the immune system, and even regulate body weight.”
The higher the omega-3 consumption, the greater the diversity of the intestinal flora
In order to examine the influence of omega-3 fatty acids on the intestinal flora, Dr. Valdes and colleagues analyzed the diversity in the gut flora of 876 female twins. The women were middle-aged and older. The researchers also analyzed the DHA blood levels and the total omega-3 levels of the test subjects. DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid, a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that is known, among other things, for its positive effect on the brain. Of course, omega-3 consumption was also taken into account.
dr Valdes summarizes the results as follows: “We found that the more omega-3 fatty acids the women’s diet contained and the higher their omega-3 blood values were.”
Interestingly, there was no association between diversity and fiber consumption in this study.
Omega-3 fatty acids promote those intestinal bacteria that have an anti-inflammatory effect
Study author Dr. Cristina Menni from King’s College London adds:
“We also discovered that with increasing omega-3 consumption, there was a particularly high increase in the number of bacteria that can reduce inflammation and help reduce obesity.”
Apparently, omega-3 fatty acids lead to a higher level of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) in the intestine, a substance that is known for its antioxidant and therefore anti-inflammatory effect. The researchers now suspect that omega-3 fatty acids can motivate some strains of bacteria to produce more NCG, which would explain the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids in the gut.
Omega-3 fatty acids in food
Since omega-3 fatty acids are among the essential fatty acids, i.e. those fats that the body cannot produce themselves, they must be ingested with food.
It is important to remember that there are different types of omega-3 fatty acids: short-chain and long-chain.
The short-chain omega-3 fatty acid is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It is contained in plant foods such as linseed, linseed oil, hemp seed, hemp oil, and chia seeds, and in varying proportions in many other nuts and seeds. ALA is also found in other plant-based foods, but usually only in small amounts.
The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids include DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). They are found in some types of fish, in small amounts in meat, eggs, and milk, and in special algae.
Since the body can also convert ALA to EPA and DHA, basically only ALA is considered essential.
How do you get enough omega-3 fatty acids?
If you wanted to get DHA and EPA directly from food, you would have to eat fatty fish every day, which is no longer possible today due to the overfishing of the seas, rivers, and lakes and the unsustainable conditions in aquaculture.
Pure vegetable algae oils offer an animal-friendly, ecologically sensible, and, last but not least, healthy solution – either in capsule form or without a capsule. However, make sure that the product you choose also contains the omega-3 dose you want, as there are both low- and high-dose omega-3 supplements on the market.
High-dose omega-3 supplements that provide adequate amounts of DHA and EPA are:
- the algae oil from effective nature (omega-3 fluid): The oil provides 700 mg DHA and 350 mg EPA per daily dose (2.5 ml).
- Norsan algae oil in a 100 ml bottle: The oil provides more than 1,800 mg of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (1176 mg DHA and 714 mg EPA) per daily dose (5 ml) so that the daily dose recommended by the manufacturer can even be halved could – unless, of course, a higher dose is required for therapeutic reasons.
Omega-3 fatty acids accompany the rehabilitation of your intestinal flora
If you are planning a colon cleanse in the near future, you can include omega-3 fatty acids in your colon cleansing program. Even if you are only working on building up your intestinal flora (e.g. after antibiotic therapy), omega-3 fatty acids can play a part.
Omega-3 fatty acids are ideally taken with meals. Divide the daily dose into at least two single doses to improve absorption, e.g. B. One portion for lunch, the second for dinner.
Omega-3 fatty acid preparations are among those dietary supplements that can be taken permanently since the fatty acids always remain essential and not just temporarily. If you start completely new with the intake, then in the case of chronic diseases, an effect can only be seen in the third month of intake. In the case of acute problems such as B. skin rashes, an effect can be noticeable after three to five days.
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