What Foods Contain Fish Oil?

Fish oil is something you may not much about outside of a supplement that someone you know swears by.

But what does it mean and what does it do?

When you hear fish oil, you probably assume that it comes only from, well, fish. But you may be surprised what other foods contain so-called “fish oil.”

The truth is, fish oil is actually just one source of omega 3 fatty acids. We’ll get into what that means, what it does, and how you can get fish oil from natural sources into your diet.

What Does Fish Oil Do?

Let’s look into why you need fish oil in your diet in the first place. Fish oil, a form of omega 3 fatty acid, has numerous health benefits that have people swearing by them. Here are a few of the most notable benefits:

• Heart health- supports good cardiovascular health and healthy blood pressure levels.
• Immune support- soothes inflammation that is a natural response of our immune system. When the inflammation becomes a chronic issue, this leads to disease. Fish oil helps support healthy immune function.
• Metabolic health- fish oil helps boost a healthy and balanced metabolic function, meaning healthy nutrients get into your body efficiently.

Mackerel

The single most significant source of fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids is mackerel. Mackerel are small fish that are fatty and packed with nutrients like fish oil, b12, and selenium.

They’re easy to prepare and most of the time they are consumed as a smoked, whole filet.

Salmon

Salmon is a staple of many healthy diets for good reason. It’s nutrient-packed with vitamin D, selenium, B vitamins, and yes, omega 3 fatty acids.

Not only does it contain fish oil but it also has properties that lower your risk of dementia, heart disease, and depression. Pretty awesome, right?

Oysters

Not only are oysters a notoriously classy food that is also a known aphrodisiac, but they can also be great for your health.

They’re a great source of zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, copper, and an insane amount of vitamin B12.

You can eat them completely raw as a snack, appetizer, or entire meal.

Flaxseed

If you don’t like fish, are allergic, or don’t eat fish for a dietary reason, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this essential vitamin.

Flaxseeds are small yellow and brown seeds that contain a huge amount of omega 3 fatty acids as well as fiber, magnesium, and a bunch of other healthy things.

They can be consumed in their natural form as whole flaxseeds or ground up as an easy-to-take flaxseed oil.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are another wonderful type of seed that is high in omega 3 fatty acids, manganese, selenium, and magnesium.

They’re also a good source of protein, containing 5 grams of protein per ounce and all eight amino acids.

Many people like to put chia seeds on things like smoothies or yogurt, but you can also put them just into your water bottle. The texture when they’re wet isn’t for everyone, though.

Soybeans

Yes, the edamame that you eat before sushi has omega 3 fatty acids in it, too.

Known as a great source of plant-based protein in the vegetarian and vegan communities, soybeans are also a great source of many other nutrients. These include riboflavin, vitamin K, folate, magnesium, and potassium.

Supplements Save You From the Fishy Breath

If none of these foods appeal to you, you could always just invest in a good fish oil supplement. To avoid fishy breath, try to find something like a C15 supplement.