Omega-3 fatty acids are a family of short and long chain fatty acids that play an important role in the proper functioning of our bodies. They help to support brain health, reduce inflammation and promote good cardiovascular health.

Here, we've dived into the role of omega-3 fatty acids in the body and explained where you can get them from a balanced diet.

What are omega-3 fatty acids?

According to Rachel Clarkson, a registered dietician based in London, England, omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fat found in nuts, seeds, and oily fish. Polyunsaturated fats are structured as chains of carbon and hydrogen, sometimes connected to other chains of carbon and hydrogen by a connection called a double bond. Some chains contain more than one double bond in their carbon chain, with empty spaces for hydrogen along the chain. This makes them unsaturated.

"Omega-3 fats are essential fatty acids, meaning we must get enough of them from food because the body cannot make them from scratch," Clarkson told Live Science. "They are essential for reducing inflammation in the body and keeping the brain and heart healthy."

The three most common omega-3 fatty acids used by the body are:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

EPA and DHA are known as long chain fatty acids, Clarkson said. Long chain fatty acids differ from short chain fatty acids in their structural makeup; short chain fatty acids have fewer than six carbon atoms per chain, while long chain fatty acids have 12 or more carbon atoms.

"Our body can use these types of omega-3 and absorb them better than it can ALA, a short-chain fatty acid," Clarkson said. This is because ALA is less bioavailable than EPA and DHA, meaning it takes longer to digest and enter our systems.

Our bodies can use ALA to make EPA and DHA, however, Clarkson said that this conversion is slow and not very efficient. ALA is converted to EPA and DHA by being broken down and metabolized by the body in desaturation and elongation steps that change the structure of the carbon chain.

"Therefore, getting enough EPA and DHA is essential," she said.

What are the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids?

While omega-3s are thought to play a role in treating and preventing diseases, these effects are hard to measure. There isn't a definitive study that shows that eating a certain amount of omega-3s reduces your risk of a specific disease by a certain percentage. Instead, there are many studies, and reviews of these studies, that point toward a general belief that omega-3s are good for your health.

According to Roxanna Ehsani, a registered dietitian based in Florida, and media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, consuming omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the concentration of inflammatory molecules in the body, which can help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, and cancers.