Featured meal idea: Poached wild caught Norwegian salmon, served with avocado, and mixed baby leaves, dressed simply with lemon juice, cold pressed olive oil and lots of sea salt & black pepper, so delicious and nutritious:
Time savers tip; poach a large fillet of salmon and then store it in the fridge to supply 2-3 of these filling salads for your lunchbox or summery suppers for the week.
In addition to this simple salad idea, some really interesting information in the below article about the role of Omega 3 in your gut health from Medical News Today:
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, which means that although we need them to stay healthy, the human body cannot produce them on its own – so we have to get them from food.
The benefits of a diet rich in omega-3s are well known. The fatty acids seem to lower the “bad” kind of cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, and improve overall cardiovascular health.
Some studies have also suggested that omega-3 can reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritisand improve bone strength, as well as protect against age-related cognitive decline and dementia.
And now, researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Medicine, in collaboration with scientists from King’s College London – both in the United Kingdom – add to the long list of omega-3’s benefits.
The new study – led by Dr. Ana Valdes, an associate professor and reader at the University of Nottingham – suggests that the compound can improve the biodiversity of the gut.
How omega-3 may improve gut health
The researchers analyzed levels of DHA, which is a type of omega-3 fatty acid, as well as total omega-3 serum levels and microbiome data from 876 twins.
“This cohort of 876 volunteer women had previously been used to investigate the human genetic contribution to the gut microbiome in relation to weight gain and disease,” says Dr. Valdes.
Dr. Valdes summarizes the findings, saying, “We […] found [that omega-3 intake], together with […] serum levels of omega-3, were strongly associated with the diversity and number of species of healthy bacteria in the gut.”
The association was independent of whether or not the participants also had a diet rich in fiber.
First study author Dr. Cristina Menni, of King’s College London, adds, “We also found that specific bacteria that have been linked to lower inflammation and lower risk of obesity are increased in people who have a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids.”
In an attempt to understand the mechanism behind this association, the researchers performed further tests and found that “high levels of omega-3 in blood […] correlated with high levels of a compound called N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) in the gut.”
“[NCG] has been shown in animals to reduce oxidative stress in the gut. We believe that some of the good effects of omega-3 in the gut may be due to the fact that omega-3 induces bacteria to produce this substance.”
Dr. Cristina Menni
“Our study is the largest to date to examine the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and the composition of the gut microbiome,” says Dr. Valdes.
For the full article, navigate to the link below:
