Corn oil, margarine, steak . . . if these items make a regular appearance in your diet, you may need more "3s."
That's omega-3s—found in foods like fatty fish, peanuts, and flaxseeds. Your body needs them to balance out the omega-6s in foods like red meat and certain vegetable oils.
Balancing act
Omega-3s and omega-6s are both healthy, unsaturated fats. (How can you know how much you're getting of each? Check out this video.) But omega-3s are considered healthiest. Besides keeping your arteries clear, omega-3s boost your immunity. And the right 3s-to-6s dietary ratio is important; it helps keep health-hampering inflammation in check.
Super "3" sources
You can boost your intake of heart-healthy omega-3s by eating more of these foods:
- Flaxseeds or flaxseed oil
- Walnuts
- Oily fish, such as cod, halibut, and trout
- Omega-3-enriched eggs or margarines—check labels
Medically reviewed in October 2019.
