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I feel like I am constantly surrounded by pregnant women; many of the ladies around here seem like they are in a state of perpetual pregnancy. While I have as of yet refused to join their ranks I do have a few words of wisdom to offer them, not as mother but as a food scientist.

Pregnant women seem to have a lot of misconceptions about their condition. I’m not sure if these erroneous beliefs originate from incorrect information passed down from mothers and grandmothers or if they simply blossom out of women’s desires to take advantage of their situation. But I do know that I’ve listened to far too many mothers-to-be talk about how hungry they are when they are only 5 or 6 weeks along and I’ve heard lots of ladies justify eating ridiculously unhealthy and calorie laden meals by stating that old adage “I’m not eating for one; I’m eating for two.” I’ve held my tongue loads of times when expecting women have told me that they can’t exercise because they are pregnant but I can keep my big mouth shut no longer.

Okay ladies, it’s time to get your information straight. Disregard the phony-bologna you heard from your Aunt Gertrude and forget your longing to just have one time in your life when you can eat whatever the heck you want without consequence. Despite all that wishful thinking pregnancy isn’t actually a good excuse to be a lazy piggy. Let me tell you the facts so the next time one of you pregos try to give me the rundown on why you need to consume 4,000 calories a day and do nothing but watch TV you will understand why I’m not buying it.

As a food scientist, and someone with years of experience in the dietary supplement field, I understand nutritional needs during pregnancy very well. I’ve even developed prenatal supplement formulas for companies I’ve worked for. So don’t discount what I’m telling you now simply because I haven’t experienced pregnancy myself. I’m guessing most of your OBGYN doctors are men and therefore have never been, nor will ever be, pregnant. Yet you take their advice. Why? Because reason and science do not require firsthand experience; if they did, life would be our only teacher and text books would be completely obsolete. The facts are the facts and I know the fact so let’s go through the basics of caloric needs during pregnancy and how they relate to nutrient needs and then let’s cover what is a healthy amount of exercise when you are expecting.

I'd hate to see what the offspring of that woman would look like. Here's Jason illustrating my post with more than his usual level of idiocy. He was sad that I didn't have a moo moo for him to wear.

First a reminder: pregnancy is composed of three trimesters - if that is news to any of you we have bigger problems than you eating too many Doritos. Nutrient and caloric needs vary from trimester to trimester so I’m going to break it all down for you.

Let’s start with the first trimester. Nutrition is absolutely critical during the first trimester of pregnancy because this is when many of the baby’s organs and body parts form. The nutrient status of a mother during this period can have lifelong ramifications for her offspring. That’s why it is imperative that all women in their childbearing years supplement with folic acid and that any woman attempting to get pregnant take a daily prenatal vitamin. In a woman that is nutrient deficient by the time she realizes she is pregnant, and takes steps to correct those deficiencies, irreversible damage may have already been done to her baby. It’s not worth the risk ladies. Be responsible and make sure you are getting adequate nutrients whether you see a baby in your near future or not. After all, life is full of surprises.

Despite the extra nutrients necessary in the first trimester women need virtually NO extra calories during this time. Yes, that is correct. So if you are 5 weeks along, and just found out you were expecting, don’t come crying to me about how you’re hungry constantly because you don’t need any additional calories yet – it’s all in your head. The mind truly must be a powerful thing because countless barely pregnant women have told me their hunger woes. Yes, I am rolling my eyes just thinking about it.

Since you don’t need any extra food during the first few months of pregnancy you should only gain 2 to 4 pounds and no, that 2 does not have a 0 after it. By the beginning of the second trimester the fetus only weighs about 1 oz. Yeah, not exactly what one would call a calorie demanding mass.

In the second trimester the fetus bulks up from 1 ounce to about 2 or 3 pounds and then, during the third trimester, it does the majority of its growing and weight accumulation. Surely, since the baby is rapidly expanding women need extra calories during their second and third trimesters, right? Absolutely, but only about 300 additional calories a day are required. This may sound substantial but it’s really not. You can get 300 calories from 2 cups of low-fat milk and a slice of bread …or a microscopic potato chip crumb. Pregnant women should put on approximately 0.75-1.0 pound a week in their second and third trimesters bringing the grand total of weight gain for the entire pregnancy to about 25-35 pounds. It should be noted that while additional weight gain is generally not healthy it is better than not enough weight gain. The wellbeing of your baby should always be your top priority so skimping on your food because you are trying to watch your figure is an absolutely ridiculous thing to do during pregnancy.

Unlike energy needs, which don’t change too much during pregnancy, nutrient needs increase by quite a bit: 20-100% depending on the nutrient. This means that pregnant women need to be more conscientious about what they’re eating, not less so, in order to fulfill their nutrient requirements. Translation: consume more nutrient dense foods not more calorie dense foods. Say no to the French fries but yes to the fruits and veggies.

Also, you poor women that suffer from morning sickness when you are expecting have my condolences. Obviously, for those in the vomitous clutches of this obnoxious condition whatever can be kept down should be consumed. And of course, getting too much food is not an issue for the gagging.

Now that we have covered the fundamentals concerning pregos and calories how about exercise? If you’re pregnant exercise is bad, right? While pregnancy is not the time to start up a new exercise routine, the rule of thumb is that you can continue to do just about any exercise that you could do beforehand without difficulty. So if you were in good shape and regularly went running before you were expecting you will most likely be able to continue that regiment to some degree. There are exceptions certainly. Contact sports are out as are things like deep leg bends and weight lifting. And of course some women, due to possible complications, are told to keep their exercise to a minimum. Any exercise program should be discussed with your doctor to ensure that it will be safe given your specific circumstances. With that said, I know plenty of pregos that use pregnancy as an excuse not to exercise at all even though there is no reason for it in their particular case.

In conclusion, while some women have problems with excessive weight gain during pregnancy due to genetic or hormonal causes beyond their control this is not the case with most pregnancies. Just like everyone else, pregnant women gain too much weight because they eat too much, exercise too little, or a combination of both. As much as a mother-to-be might wish that pregnancy would somehow be a loophole to that cardinal rule, it’s just not the case. So remember ladies, when you are 5 weeks along you aren’t eating for two; you are eating for you and a pea-sized mass of replicating cells. And when you are further along you only need 300 extra calories a day but a substantial amount of added nutrients. So make sure you get highly nutritious foods and take a nice walk. The exercise and healthy eating will do both of you good. And if you recall nothing else from this post remember this: pregnant women may need extra love and support to cope with the changes they are going through but they don’t need an extra cheeseburger. Your post-pregnancy body will thank you for keeping that in mind.

A vitamin, by definition, is a nutrient needed in the diet in small amounts for normal function, growth, and maintenance of body tissues. However, there is one vitamin that pushes that definition, one vitamin that won’t be viewed in black and white, one vitamin that refuses to be categorized. That rebellious nutrient is Vitamin D.

Vitamin D, unlike other vitamins, isn’t always essential. Obtaining it in your diet may or may not be necessary. Hmmm…has Vitamin D’s ambiguous nature got you a little puzzled? If so, let me walk you through the details.

You see, your skin cells are capable of forming Vitamin D in the presence of sunlight, or UV light to be more exact. Most people, in the majority of climates, can make all the Vitamin D they need by simply getting sunlight on their face, arms, and hands for about 10-15 minutes, a few days a week, between the hours of 8 AM and 4 PM. However, if you aren’t hanging out in the sun much, or you’re wearing UV blocking sunscreen constantly, then your skin can’t manufacture adequate Vitamin D and you need to get it in your diet. So while dietary Vitamin D intake isn’t essential for many people, those “if” cases have allowed this nutrient to achieve vitamin status. Vitamin D deficiency used to primarily be a problem only in populations that had a sun insufficiency: the elderly, vampires, people living in northern climates where the sun pretty much disappears for months. However, trends seem to indicate that now things may be changing…and not in a good way. But before I get to the latest Vitamin D drama, permit me to tell you why you should care about this particular nutrient.

Vitamin D, like most vitamins, is a multitasker. Its most important function is regulating blood calcium levels and preventing calcium loss but it also aids in immune function, contributes to insulin secretion, and may help ward off cancer. Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets or soft bones- amongst other things. Even if you were so stuffed with calcium that someone could use you as a piece of chalk, all that calcium wouldn’t do your bones much good without Vitamin D. Calcium can’t do its job without Vitamin D to back it up; bone maintenance is a team effort. Go team bones!

You should now understand that vitamin D is important but perhaps you are confused as to why it, a sometimes non-essential nutrient, deserves our attention when there are plenty of always-essential nutrients out there. Let me quell that confusion by sharing Vitamin D’s recent woes - the problems that have lead to increasing deficiencies.

Problem 1: You may have noticed that more and more people have become aware of the harmful nature of UV radiation. It is true UV light causes all sorts of havoc in our skin. You many know that sun exposure can lead to skin cancer but were you also aware that it suppresses your skin’s immune responses, causes a cascade of inflammation, and leads to the formation of free radicals? Oddly, although some people don’t care about the risk of skin cancer and all that other bad stuff they usually do care about being pretty. Sun exposure is one of the leading causes of premature aging. Yes, in this day of youth obsession that point seems to catch everyone’s attention. In fact it has caught so much attention that not only are many women putting SPF lotions on their faces every day but some are slathering on SPF containing body lotions day and night. They are essentially wrapping themselves in a sun proof cocoon. After all, the seconds of sun exposure here and there do add up over a lifetime and can lead to catastrophically normal skin. Gasp! Because of this rise in UV apprehension, and segments of the population avoiding unprotected sun exposure like the plaque, Vitamin D deficiency appears to be increasing.

Jas is doing his best here to represent someone who feels uneasy about going out in the sun even with ridiculous amounts of sunscreen on. But it isn't just the sunscreen that looks ridiculous...

Problem 2: When I was a kid I spent a lot of time outdoors. I loved playing outside. Most people my age felt similarly about the outdoors when they were children and now those once-kids are already dealing with skin cancer issues because of all the time they spent enjoying the sunny summers in their early years with as few clothes on as possible. My generation may have gotten a few too many sunburns back in those days, and our skin is now paying the price, but did we have Vitamin D deficiency? Absolutely not. Kids today, however, spend a lot less time being lively outside. They are too obsessed with their video games and TV shows to be regularly involved in active outdoor play. The negative effects of this surge in childhood inactivity are far reaching and include: childhood obesity, diabetes, and even heart disease. Vitamin D levels also seem to be dwindling in many kids due to their sedentary indoor lifestyles.

So now you appreciate what poor Vitamin D has been going through but what can be done about its predicament? My solution is very simple and entirely logical…heaven forbid the answer to any dilemma be logical. You see, I am a big fan of moderation and that’s exactly what this situation calls for. Many people bask in the sun, or regularly visit tanning beds, with little thought to the long-term consequences… and there will be consequences. Those consequences may come in the form of sunburns, wrinkles, a suppressed immune system, sagging skin, age spots, or skin cancer. Why tanners why? If you are burning yourself in order to be hip you should know that tan skin is on its way out! That’s right, pale even-toned skin is making a comeback! (Yes! I am going to have the trendiest skin around!) And even if tan skin continues to be popular, (It really is becoming less and less so…I would never lie to you.) is looking sun baked really worth the health of your skin? Also, if you are that concerned about appearances shouldn’t you be concerned about what your skin is going to look like in 20 or 30 years thanks to all the tanning you are doing now? Put some sunscreen on people! By the way, the sunless tanners they have these days are quite good; they don’t make you look like an oversized pumpkin. Ever considered using those instead of frying your skin? Just a thought.

And to all you people that fear the sun as if it were an evil overlord hovering above you…chill! You need some beams! Ten minutes a day isn’t going to kill you, in fact not getting any is much more likely to do so. And you aren’t going to turn into a hag if you get a few rays now and then, at least not any more so than is unfortunately unavoidable through the passing of time.

And parents, you know where the “off” switch is on your TV or kids’ gaming system right? Well, then why don’t you use it? Send you children outside to run around and play. Even if this takes a bit of work, it could save your kids from a long list of chronic health problems and sickly lives. (I know, I know, it’s not fair; you didn’t expect parenting to actually take effort.) By the way, don’t forget your kids do need sunscreen when being out in the sun for extended periods of time. You wouldn’t want their backs to be littered with precancerous cells when they’re only 30 would you? I thought not.

So to review: Lots of sun=bad. No sun or constantly SPFing your whole body=bad. Ten minutes of sunscreenless sun a few days a week=good.

And let me just say to those of you that are bound and determined to keep every inch of your skin covered from the sun and wear a thick layer of SPF 500 sunscreen day and night despite my plea for moderation and rationality- there is still a glimmer of hope for your bones. If you won’t soak in your Vitamin D you can still eat it. Good sources of Vitamin D include: fatty fish, fortified milk, and some breakfast cereals. So make sure you get plenty of those in your diet or your beautifully pale and well-kept skin could be stretched over a large osteoporotic hump. (That’s usually not considered attractive.)

I should also warn you sun avoiders that while sunlight and food sourced Vitamin D will not cause toxicity, such is not the case for Vitamin D supplements. If you seek to improve your Vitamin D status through supplementation you should be careful not to overdo it. Vitamin D is fat soluble, builds up in your fat tissue, and can be extremely toxic. A normal adult would have to take about 10 times the AI (Adequate Intake) of Vitamin D for approximately 6 months before toxicity would set in. (For an infant the amount of Vitamin D that will cause toxicity is far less.) You may be thinking that six months is oodles of time and that toxicity therefore isn’t an issue but you might change your tune when your body starts going berserk and depositing calcium in random places like your kidneys, heart, blood vessels…organs don’t tend to recover from something like that too well.

So go easy on the Vitamin D supplements, enjoy some fish, and hang out with your fiery friend the sun occasionally. A few short visits with him every week will take quite a bit of the Vitamin D drama out of your life.

It’s hard not to dwell on food safety these days. Salmonella and E. coli have made numerous appearances in strange foods such as pistachios, spinach, peanut butter, and cookies as of late. Many Americans have lost confidence in the safety of their food supply as a result of these seemingly unusual outbreaks. But before you join the ranks of suspicious consumers let me give you a few things to consider.

Concerns about food safety are certainly nothing new. In fact, thousands of years ago Roman law prohibited the sale of adulterated food and punished offenders with mine duty or exile. Even in the unrefined atmosphere of the 13^th century trade guilds for butchers and bakers had authority to monitor and confiscated unwholesome goods. These guilds were not necessarily looking out for the public’s wellbeing; rather they were looking out for their own best interests. The guildsmen knew that there was a direct correlation between product quality and marketplace profits. They understood that when customers have confidence in the safety of their food supply business booms.

Here's yet another awesome visualization courtesy of Jason. Does he look terrified of that peanut butter wannabee?

It would seem logical to assume that as human knowledge has increased over the centuries that food safety has inevitably improved as well. Unfortunately that is not the case. Spidey’s Uncle had it right when he said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” During the last half of the nineteenth century significant advances in chemistry made possible an abundance of new food additives and colorants – countless novel ways to adulterate and basically poison food. It took some time, and many unfortunate events, for food regulations to catch up to science. Here are some of the stranger things you may not know about food’s shadier recent past.

Since food regulations were lagging behind scientific progress near the turn of the century, citizens starting taking matters into their own hands. In 1883 a man named Dr. Harvey Wiley, the head chemist at the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry, started documenting the extensiveness of food adulteration in the United States. He formed a “poison squad” made up individuals who willingly consumed suspicious food additives that were commonly used at the time, such as formaldehyde, and documented the ill effects on their health. Yes, just like lab rats. The atrocious symptoms of these volunteers helped fuel public outrage and awareness. But, despite growing public concern, questionable preservatives and colorants continued to make their way into food without any evidence of their safety. Regulatory change was on the way however; the last straw was the publication of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, which vividly depicted the unsanitary conditions in the meat-packing industry. Having read this book myself I can attest to the disgusting images it conveys. (Workers accidentally falling into vats = extra lard.) The Pure Food and Drug Act soon followed in 1906: the beginnings of modern federal food regulation.

Is that where our story ends? Was everything happy ever after? Ah…no. The Pure Food and Drug Act was crude by today’s standards and certainly not all encompassing, so more tragedy naturally followed.

In 1937 a drug company decided to make sulfanilamide, a new drug used to treat strep throat, more appealing to children by mixing it with diethylene glycol, a sweet tasting liquid. The drug company performed no safety testing on their new mixture. Within weeks of this product, Elixir of Sulfanilamide, hitting the market over a hundred deaths were reported to the FDA. But these weren’t just any fatalities; most of the unfortunate victims were children who died excruciatingly. The public was incensed. As a result of this horrible affair, in 1938 the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act was passed. Not surprisingly, this new law required drugs to undergo premarketing safety testing.

But that’s the end of it, right? After 1938 all foods were safe and wholesome? Not so. Despite the potential danger of food colorants, the Color Additive Amendment to the FD&C Act was not passed into law until 1960. This amendment finally required safety testing on color additives. In 1973 a large number of botulism outbreaks from canned foods resulted in low-acid food processing regulations. In 1982, after cyanide placed in Tylenol capsules caused multiple deaths, tamper-resistant packaging regulations emerged. And lastly, in 1990 the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act was passed and those nutrition labels we all depend on came into being; yes, those lovely things that have made it possible for me to determine that if I consume more than 0.0034% of a scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream I will morph into something that resembles the Stay Puffed marshmallow man.

What I hope you gleamed from this brief history is that the safety of our food supply has increased enormously over the last century. You don’t have to worry about the dye from your lollypop turning you into a tumor reservoir or getting served a slice of tubercular beef – both legitimate concerns for consumers a hundred years ago.

I also hope my synopsis has led to the realization that outbreaks of food borne illness are regrettably nothing new. You don’t have to glimpse far into the past to grasp this. What we have been experiencing lately is not that out of the norm. But don’t let that discourage you. Science is always progressing and regulations are always changing as they adapt to the current concerns of society. We learn. Perhaps you have concluded, in view of recent events, that food producers in general don’t take safety concerns seriously. That is definitely not the case. Food producers aren’t dumb, with a few exceptions, and just like the guildsmen of the 13^th century they know that it is to their advantage to keep the food supply safe. Outbreaks and recalls are expensive and often have long-term economic consequences for companies. So they look out for your interests because it’s in their best interest – let the warm fuzzies begin.

I have worked for several food companies and all of them have been very diligent about insuring only safe and wholesome food is released into the marketplace. So don’t let the rare instance of an imbecilic CEO knowingly distributing tainted food alter your opinion of the food supply in general. Although change may be on the horizon and reform may be needed to make our food regulatory system less cumbersome and more capable of impeding the few morons out there, you don’t need to be afraid of your food.

I was recently asked to serve as the secretary of my chapter of the SCC. So what is the SCC? Society for Claustrophobic Clowns? No, it’s the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. I know that name sounds nearly as fictitious, but the SCC is a legitimate scientific organization.

The Society of Cosmetic Chemists is composed of professionals that formulate cosmetics, sell ingredients with which to formulate cosmetics, or are involved in the processing of cosmetics. We aren’t nerds, we are just eccentric scientists – and no, the two aren’t synonymous.

The society meets every month or two for lunch and a lecture. You might hear some of these comedic gems at one of our get-togethers:

Why did the bear dissolve when he jumped into the water? He was a polar bear.

What weapon can you make from the elements potassium, iron, and nickel? A KNiFe.

Why does hamburger have lower energy than steak? Because it’s in the ground state.

I know at least a few of you out there are tempted to laugh right now. It’s okay, go ahead. And yes, that does mean that you are a geek - just accept it.

This is me and my fellow chemist Thao. She was on the photo brigade with me, which unfortunately meant that she had to tolerate my inability to drive a golf cart. We had a great time laughing together though.

Every August the SCC has a golf outing. I usually skip this event because I have absolutely no golf skills. (Sorry Dad, I know you tried.) However, since I am now a SCC officer, and needed to assist in the preparations for this gathering, this year I came as a non-participant. I was more than happy to perform random tasks rather than golf. Amongst other things, my secretarial duties included driving a golf cart around to take pictures of all the teams. Sounds grueling doesn’t it? It turns out that my golf cart driving skills are a little subpar. (Pun intended.) But the sunshine was divine and I didn’t run anyone over – the day was a success!

Will being the SCC secretary promote my nerdyness to the next energy level? One can certainly dream.

And my wise advice to all you non-geeks? Remember the SCC next time you hear about some bizarre sounding group. Don’t simply dismiss them as fantasy. If we exist, they probably do too.

A recent conversation with some of my family members made me realize that the general public is quite confused about oils, fats, and fatty acids. What’s good for you? What should you be avoiding? Why? What’s with that trans and saturated stuff?

Since the subject of fats is way too broad to cover in entirety here, I will focus on a small, but still complex, portion of it: omega-3 fatty acids.

When I was a child my mom regularly required me and my siblings to take cod liver oil. I didn’t exactly enjoy this routine but, since I wasn’t given a choice, I forced this nasty, supposedly healthful, substance down the hatch. It has taken a couple decades for the masses to grasp what my mom already understood back in those days: fish oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids, is good for you and perhaps worthy of forced feeding. Although the public has finally accepted the healthfulness of omega-3s, they still don’t seem to grasp the why and how much, those details continue to baffle. With the recent interest in fish oil there appears to be a lot of conflicting information out there regarding this substance, even among the experts, so it’s no surprise that consumers remain a bit mystified about omega-3s.

Although the jury is still out regarding many of the possible benefits of omega-3s, I will divulge here what everyone does agree on.

Let’s start with the basics. Lipids are a broad class of chemical compounds. Put most simply, lipids do not readily dissolve in water. Fatty acids are the most common form of lipids; they are found extensively in our bodies and in our food. “Fat” is a term often used incorrectly to encompass a wide range of lipids, but for the simplicity of this discussion I will use it here synonymously with fatty acids.

Fat has gained an undeserved bad reputation in the recent past. We associate it erroneously with obesity and heart disease. While the consumption of some types of fat certainly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, eating other types actually lessens that risk. Besides, no matter how fats alter the risk of this or that, we should be mindful of the fact that we really do need them. That’s right- in order to be healthy we require certain fats in our diet.

So before you decide to live off carrots and fat free cookies consider this: our bodies lack the ability to produce certain types of fatty acids. These fatty acids are needed for immune response, vision, blood clotting, stomach secretions, and blood pressure regulation. Since we can’t make them, we must obtain them from our diet; hence they are called “essential” fatty acids.

There are two different essential fatty acids: omega-3 and omega-6. Chances are, if you’ve heard anything about either of those, omega-3 is the one you’ve heard about. So why, if we need both, does omega-3 get the spotlight while omega-6 is forced into the background like an ugly stepchild?

Omega-6 fatty acids are found in many plant oils so they are in a lot of the foods Americans commonly consume, such as mayonnaise and salad dressing. This means that deficiencies of this fatty acid are rare. Omega-3s, on the other hand, are found in foods not eaten as frequently by westerners. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include: canola oil, flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and fish of course. What, you didn’t have a salmon burger today? Or drizzle canola oil over your pancakes this morning? Shame on you! In all seriousness though, Americans tend to not get adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet, especially those that don’t regularly consume fish.

Jason decided that the best way to illustrate this post was to pretend to be a fish while wearing a latex glove on his head with an omega symbol written on it, which basically just resulted in him looking like an idiot yet again.

So why should you care? I guess you shouldn’t if you don’t value your heart, skin, mental wellbeing, or the brain development of your unborn children. If having blood the consistency of toothpaste doesn’t bother you then you needn’t worry about getting enough omega-3s. An inadequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids has detrimental effects on many systems in your body and, in pregnant women, even on the body of your baby.

Why are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids so vital for optimal health? Our bodies use these essential fatty acids to synthesize hormone like compounds called eicosanoids. Although eicosanoids resemble hormones, unlike hormones they remain at their production site, instead of traveling via the bloodstream to a place of action. Eicosanoids are involved in regulating everything from childbirth to inflammatory responses.

So, if both essential fatty acids form eicosanoids, can’t we just eat a lot of omega-6s and call it good? No. Different starting materials result in distinct eicosanoids. Omega-6 fatty acids form different eicosanoids than omega-3s. For example: eicosanoids made from omega-6s increase blood clotting while those made from omega-3s decrease it.

Therefore, if your intake ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids is out of whack, due to you avoiding fish like it was your mother-in-law, then your eicosanoids will also be out of whack.

Many studies have been done on omega-3s and their treatment of all sorts of conditions from depression to rheumatoid arthritis, and everything in between. While most of these studies have been conflicting and less than conclusive, some things are certain:

You need omega-3s and you probably aren’t getting enough, most Americans consume less than 50% of the RDA. Omega-3s are good for your heart. They can decrease your blood pressure, improve your triglyceride status, and slow the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque- especially in those that already have heart disease.

So does that mean you should start popping omega-3 pills from a PEZ dispenser? No, unless of course you fancy your blood being about as thin as the hair on your head. Remember, as with anything diet related, balance is the key here. There can be too much of a good thing. How much isn’t too much then?

While the optimal intake level of omega-3s is still in debate, here are some basic guidelines: If you eat fish, two servings a week should be adequate. If you don’t eat fish, and would rather swallow your own vomit than ingest some salmon, you may want to consider omega-3 supplementation; fish oil capsules are the most common form. I wouldn’t recommend taking more than 1 gram of fish oil a day though, unless you have been instructed to do so by your doctor, since there isn’t a consensus yet on the most advantageous amount.

So there you have it folks, a brief overview of omega-3 fatty acids and all their fabulousness. Now go eat some delicious healthy fish! It will make your heart happy.