New Study: Get Your Plant-Based Omega-3s

Not that we need any more reasons to make omega-3s a part of our everyday diet, but we can add this one to the list! The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently published a meta-analysis evaluating how alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 acid, offers protective effects on cardiovascular diseases. ALA is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD) death.

The review used 27 original studies with 251,049 individuals, and overall ALA was connected to lower risk of CVD. Just one gram per day of ALA intake was linked to 10 per cent lower risk of CHD death.

It is important to know that omega-3s in walnuts and other plant sources are not the same as omega-3s found in fish. Walnuts are the only nut that provides a meaningful amount of plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, with 2.5 grams of ALA in a handful.

Cardiologist Dr. James Beckerman said in a statement, “Given that plant sources of ALA are cheaper and more accessible to many people as compared to omega-3 fatty acids from fish, this study expands our arsenal to fight heart disease with safe and well-tolerated dietary interventions that are easy for people to incorporate into their lifestyles.”

Not sure how to incorporate ALAs into your diet? Go nuts with these recipes!

-Tianna Robinson