Omega-3 fatty acids are the building blocks of your brain and an important element of heart health, and evidence continues to pile up showing that using supplements may be a good idea.

Omega-3s have been making news in the military recently thanks to a study by military and public health doctors that found low levels of omega-3s, especially DHA, to be” a significant risk factor for suicide deaths” among active-duty troops.

Other studies have shown that omega-3s can help improve your outlook overall, activating and building areas of the brain that regulate mood, and that they may help reduce symptoms of depression and even alcohol cravings.

Just this year, the Indiana University School of Medicine published the results of a study that showed dramatic improvements in mice with the equivalent of bipolar disorder and its associated alcohol cravings. Alcohol-preferring “P” rats also drank “significantly less” when fed a diet high in DHA.

Our bodies don’t make omega-3s, so the only way to get them is through food and nutritional supplements.

And if you think you’re getting enough brain- and heart-healthy omega-3s by eating a vending machine tuna sandwich or a fried fish patty on a bun, you’re mistaken.

Read the full article at…http://www.marinecorpstimes. com/offduty/health/offduty-body-shop-mood-food-boost-omega-3s-for-healthy-heart-mind-111411w/