Omega 3 and Prehistoric Diets

The diets of long ago were actually very simple. Prehistoric people lived near water for many reasons, but the one healthy bonus was the abundance of fresh caught fish. They also ate very little grains and more seeds and nuts. The diet of our ancestors and Omega 3 went hand in hand, unlike our high Omega 6 diets today.

Prehistoric man survived on fruits, vegetables, nuts seeds, fish, and no grains. They ate more Omega 3 type foods and little or no Omega 6 foods. From archaeology studies, it is believed they did not have the high occurrence of diseases we suffer from. Scientists also found they had an increase in brain cells and development after they migrated to water and began to eat fish. If you need a clue to improving your health today, migrate to foods and sources of Omega 3 for the answer.

Some contemporary diets mimic the prehistoric diet in order to improve health. Research shows that increasing Omega 3 fatty acids reduces the incidence of heart disease, memory disorders, emotional disorders, and high blood pressure. Finding good sources of Omega 3 can help you supplement this vital nutrient and start improving your health right away.

Getting Omega 3 Back

Getting Omega 3 back into our diet in adequate amounts means changing our diets to include Omega 3 foods. You can also add supplements to increase the amount to a healthy level in your body. It is recommended to eat two servings of low-mercury fish each week. Omega 3 is also high in cod liver oil and foods fortified with Omega 3.

Life today has caused us to eat too many Omega 6 foods and not enough Omega 3. If we don’t get enough Omega 3 and too much Omega 6, the good health effects of Omega 3 are diminished. Supplementation can help increase the levels of Omega 3 if you are unable to eat enough through diet. The recommended daily amount is 600mg a day and up to 3,000mg a day. Never take more than 3,000mg daily without your doctor’s recommendation because of possible side-effects.

Studies show that our genes are not much different than our prehistoric ancestors, and our bodies crave this forgotten nutrient. The heavy grain based and processed diet we eat today has little Omega 3. We need to “migrate to the water” like our ancestors and eat the foods they ate to be healthy again.

Omega 3 Foods

Prehistoric people survived on mostly;fish, seeds, berries, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. If they ate red meat, the animals were not fed grain based diets because farmed grains didn’t exist yet. Animals ate grass and whatever was available in nature. Animal products that feed on grass are higher in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega 3 levels are highest in flax seeds and wild-caught salmon. For vegetarians, flax seeds are a good healthy food choice for Omega 3. It can be put into foods, smoothies and baked into muffins. If you choose to eat more salmon, make sure that it lives in cold water, is wild-caught, and not fed grain pellets on a farm. Grain fed salmon is lower in Omega 3.

If you eat beef, buy grass fed beef and not grain fed. Grain fed animals have more Omega 6 fatty acids and not enough Omega 3. Getting back to the diet of our ancestors, walnuts are a good source of Omega 3 if you are not allergic to tree nuts. Lastly, some more vegetarian sources are; soy, winter squash and kidney beans.

Try not to overcook your foods as it destroys the Omega 3. Fish should be well cooked, but any other vegetarian sources are better eaten uncooked.

Conclusion

Learning about the diet of our ancestors and Omega 3 can help us improve our diet and our health. The diet of prehistoric man was mostly; fish, nuts, berries, seeds and oils high in Omega 3. Our ancestors had less evidence of the diseases we see today. If we get back to the best way of eating for our genetics, we can alleviate many health issues and restore good health!