Fans of this column know we’re big on good fats, especially the family of heart-friendly, inflammation-cooling omega fatty acids found in olive oil, fatty fish and certain supplements. Lately, a lesser-known omega-3 called ALA (short for alpha-linolenic acid) has stepped out of the shadows — and hopefully onto your plate. ALA is a plant-based omega-3 found in abundance in walnuts (Dr. Mike eats ’em roasted; Dr. Oz loves ’em soaked in water), avocado, flax and chia seeds. It’s also in the trendy salad green called purslane.
Long overshadowed by its spotlight-hogging, good-fat bros such as the omega-3s called DHA and EPA (we recommend 900 mg of algal oil DHA a day as a supplement; it converts to EPA), ALA is now coming into its own. Here’s a list of some of its superpowers:
