Is It Better To Take Omega-3 Or Omega-3, 6 & 9?

Everyone needs omega oils as part of their daily diet; they are a source of several fatty acids essential for our brain and heart health. Not to mention, omega fatty acids (like EPA and DHA) can even help support the body through chronic illnesses, reduce our risk of heart disease and even boost our overall immunity. What's more, the body cannot produce these fatty acids naturally on its own. Therefore omega must be consumed via omega-rich foods or supplements for the body to not be deficient in those essential fatty acids that play such a key role in our health! So, for those reasons alone you can say that taking omega supplements is essential for our health. If your diet consists, already, of various sources of omega-3, 6 and 9 then a supplement might not be necessary; although many individuals cannot always get enough of the fatty acids from foods alone. The right omega supplement can give the body the additional boost of fatty acids it needs; from the supplemented omega oils! Even though consuming omega is essential for our health, not all omega oils need to be taken in supplement form; omega-3 is the most important and likely to be the ‘only’ omega that ‘needs’ to be supplemented. Here’s why…

Is it better to take omega-3 or triple-omega supplements?

A varied and healthy diet is likely to already include high levels of particular oils that are naturally rich in various omega fatty acids. For instance, most vegetable and nut-based oils contain a combination of both omega-6 and omega-9. Omega-6, of course, contains essential fatty acids that our body relies on us to consume as it cannot produce omega-6 itself. Although it's generally believed that eating omega-6-rich foods like vegetable oils, nuts and seeds are all viable sources of natural omega-6. Therefore supplementing more omega into your diet, via capsules, might be unnecessary. The same with omega-9, which can be found in various oils, nuts and seeds, what's more, it's not considered essential for us to consume. This is due to the body having the ability to produce itself from other nutrients on its own. 

However, the same cannot be said for omega-3! Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) are believed to primarily come from oily fish (fish oil) therefore can be much harder to ensure enough is included in your daily diet. Unless you are eating two portions of oily fish per week, chances are your omega-3 intake of the two main fatty acids will be low. That is one of the main reasons omega-3 supplements are the most important, even over a triple-omega capsule. An omega-3 fish oil supplement ensures you are consuming and retaining a healthy amount of EPA and DHA fatty acids (essential for brain and heart health). Whereas a triple omega supplement could be deemed a little unnecessary, as you are likely to be consuming high levels of omega-6 and omega-9 already. On top of that, a combined supplement might not have as much omega-3 as a single fish oil supplement might have. 

Which omega is the most important to include in your diet?

By now you gave properly guessed that the most important omega, to include in your diet, is omega-3. However, that does not mean that you should not consume the other essential omega which is omega-6. After all, omega-3 and omega-6 contain fatty acids that are important for keeping the body functioning healthily and reducing our risk of various diseases. Now, even though omega-9 is not considered essential, consuming omega-9 oils from foods is still going to be beneficial for your health; the body wouldn't produce its omega-9 if it wasn't useful! Omega-9 can still serve a purpose as it can help keep our cholesterol levels healthy and boost our immune system. The main reasons behind what makes omega-3 the most important to include in your diet largely come down to how essential its fatty acids are for our brain and heart as well as immunity! Omega-3 can be the hardest omega to consume, especially if your diet consists of no oily fish, therefore fish oil supplement would be highly advised. An omega-3 deficiency can adversely affect our blood sugar levels, cognitive functions, and heart health and cause fatigue. In contrast, a deficiency in omega-6 and 9 are less common as many foods contain the all-important omega oils! Therefore additional omega-3 might be the only omega you need to supplement as part of your daily diet. 

Do you need to take omega-3 every day?

You must consume enough omega-3 every single week; whether from food sources or taking the appropriate supplements. Eating one to two portions of oily fish per week is likely to provide a substantial amount of essential omega-3 nutrients. Alternatively, its believed that you can also get enough omega-3 from a daily supplement. Many people might also safely top up their omega-3 intake with supplements and consume one to two portions of fish per week; however, ensuring a healthy balance is crucial as too much can also be bad for the body. 

Do you need to take a triple omega supplement every day?

If you are taking a combined or triple omega supplement due to your diet not being rich in various omega-3, 6 or 9 oils (fatty acids) then you may be advised to take a daily combined supplement. Many triple omega supplements require you to take two capsules to ensure you are getting enough of all of the omega oils. The supplements you take are entirely up to you, omega-3 supplements may be considered the most important, but if you think or have been advised by your doctor to supplement all three into your diet; then a triple omega may be best.