Bacon, eggs used to be full of omega-3s

KATONAH, N.Y., Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Eating fish isn't the only way to add omega-3 to one's diet -- grass-fed livestock and some oils also give an anti-inflammatory boost , a U.S. author advises.

Susan Allport, author of "The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s Were Removed From Our Diet and What We Can Do To Replace Them," explains that livestock used to eat grass, insects and other green foods, but livestock today eats mostly seeds and grains. Omega-3s originate in the green leaves of plants -- not fish, as many believe -- and they accumulate in animals that eat the green foods including fish.

Food today is full of polyunsaturated fats, omega-6s that are much more prevalent in seeds and grains. Polyunsaturated fats produce cell messengers -- prostaglandins -- which are far more inflammatory, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

"It may not be practical for us to eat only grass-fed (livestock) and eggs, but it's also not possible for us to catch, or raise, enough fish to correct this problem," Allport says in a statement. "We can increase our omega-3s by eating small amounts of fish and grass-fed animals and using vegetable oils with a healthier balance of omega-6s to omega-3s."