4 Yummy Ways to Get More Omega-3s (A New Study Shows They Help Preserve Brain Health)

by Lexi Petronis

Romulo Yanes
Romulo Yanes

Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked with lower risk of heart disease and maybe even Alzheimer's. A new study just found that older women who consumed the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids had better preservation of their brain as they got older.


And, sure, you can eat servings of fish such as salmon, trout, and tuna to get an infusion of these heart-and-brain-healthy omega-3s. You can pop a fish-oil pill, or slurp it from a spoon (in my own personal experience, this leads to fish-flavored burps later--but that may just be me). But you can also find omega-3s in some non-fish foods too.

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Eggs: But not just any eggs. The orbs produced by hens that eat plants and bugs--or are fed omega-3s in their grain--contain higher levels of omega-3s. "Organic" and "free range" designations can offer some clues as to how many fatty acids are in your eggs.

Oatmeal: A bowl of oatmeal is heavenly on a cold morning. If you make yours with steel-cut or whole oats instead of the instant-mix stuff, you can get more than 50 percent of your recommended daily allowance of omega-3s. Mix in some flaxseed or chia seeds for extra fatty acids; both are filled with the stuff.

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Nuts: Just an ounce of walnuts--about 12 halves--contains about 1,000 milligrams of alpha linolenic acid, a type of omega-3. Cashews and pecans contain smaller amounts of the acid too, so sprinkle some on top of your salad, that oatmeal we just talked about, or just eat 'em plain.

Brussels sprouts: As a fan of the sprout, this one makes me giddy (seriously--if you've never roasted them and added a pinch of sea salt, do it. You'll pop them like French fries). Dark, leafy greens--like spinach--are rich in alpha linolenic acid, and brussels sprouts pack 36.3 milligrams of omega-3s. You can cook them using a little bit of oil that has omega-3s too--walnut, rapeseed, or flaxseed--for an extra brain boost.

Those are my favorites--but what are yours? How do you most enjoy getting your omega-3s?

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