Omega-3 Fortified
Omega 3 fortified products are capturing more shelves in the food markets all over the world and have become widely popular yardstick of high nutritional value and healthy components. Omega-3 fortification comes into action from the prevalent fact that we all encounter a deficit in our daily diets. Among all other beneficial elements, we miss out an essential fatty acid or EFA regularly because the body cannot manufacture them. This EFA is known as alpha-linolenic acid (LNA or ALA), and it belongs to the omega-3 family of fatty acids. The other two non-EFA of omega-3 group is DHA or docosahexaenoic acid and EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid, which can be derived from ALA. Any food product that contains the amazing omega-3 fatty acids in its ingredient list is recognised as Omega 3 fortified products. ALA, the main components of organic Omega 3 fortified food, is found in abundantly in flax, and in small quantities in walnuts, cold pressed canola oil, wheat germ and dark green leafy vegetables. By far the best food source of organic ALA is flax seed and flax oil and oily cold-water fish for DHA and EPA.
Omega-3 fortified components are known for their health-promoting characteristic. It simply enhances the nutritional quality of an organic food product without disturbing its inherent qualities or organic standards. For example sweetened dried cranberries are a rich source of healthy nutrients but after the cranberry product is enhanced with OmegaCran(R) cranberry seed oil, it provides approximately 240 mg of organic Omega 3 fortified fatty acids per 1/3 cup of serving. Moreover with addition of this Omega 3 fortified element, the same cranberries become a superb source of antioxidants and vitamin E. Applications for this premium organic component include healthy snacks, cereals, yogurt, muffins, salads, cookies, pancakes, breads, and desserts.
An increasing number of food manufacturers all over the world are trying to leverage the widening appeal of organic Omega-3 fortified food ingredients. And they have good reason to. Food products enriched in Omega-3 fortified elements promise improved cardiovascular health, joint health, brain development and visual acuity in children. They have also been linked to reduced symptoms of depression, cancer prevention, protection against type II diabetes, and alleviation of skin disorders, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome. Like all other organic foods, Omega 3 fortified foods are essential to our well-being, providing a multitude of benefits which are unmatched by very few nutritional ingredients. |