The food of the human being must cover all the needs of the organism so that it can function to the maximum of its capacities. That’s why you should have the right amount of vitamins, protein, healthy fats, and other nutrients on a daily basis. For example, omega 5 fatty acid helps maintain a healthy lifestyle, providing very important benefits to the body.
Still don’t know this type of omega well? Are you wondering what it really is, the benefits it brings to health and how it can be consumed? If you want to know everything related to this type of healthy fatty acid, continue reading this interesting article in which we talk about what omega 5 is for and how to take it.
What is omega 5
It is a fatty acid known as punicic or tricosanic fatty acid, similar to another omega 6 acid (conjugated linoleic acid). It is unsaturated and contains many beneficial health properties. Pomegranate seeds are the source from which omega 5 is obtained. Pomegranate fruit extracts help speed up the eradication of bacteria in the body if you consume them in proportional amounts. This antibacterial function gives rise to omega 5 having applications for health and also for beauty.
- In dermocosmetics it is used for the production of soaps to combat acne and improve the appearance of the skin.
- In medicine it is used as an antiseptic, both to apply to the skin and to take orally. It is primarily used to potentiate antiseptics to treat minor burns and wounds.
- Helps fight premature aging. It is increasingly valued in the fields of cosmetics and health because it can help reduce cellular aging, preventing it from appearing early, thanks to the fact that it contributes to the correct absorption of antioxidants.
- Other properties of omega 5 are the anti-inflammatory effect and its ability to regenerate the skin.
- It is also a phytoestrogenic source, that is, it provides hormones similar to estrogens found in animals.
How to get omega 5 from pomegranate
The seeds of the pomegranate contain omega 5, so they must be extracted cold so that they do not dissolve, since this danger is run with heat. Nor should chemical elements be used to obtain the oil in which this fatty acid is found from the seed. In this way, a higher quality pomegranate oil is achieved, which preserves all its properties and nutritional values that provide benefits to your health.
Omega 5: what is it for?
After learning more about what this fatty acid is, we explain what omega 5 or punicic fatty acid is for :
- Protects brain cells: the properties of omega 5 allow fatty acids to enter the blood-brain barrier, ensuring that antioxidants are absorbed into brain cells. All this contributes to delaying aging.
- It favors the assimilation of medicines: it helps transport the active ingredients of some medicines throughout the body, which is why in some cases doctors recommend taking it at the same time as a treatment, facilitating its effect.
- Improves the functioning of cells: by favoring the absorption of antioxidants, omega 5 allows all the cells of the body to work in better conditions and can reduce the effects of cellular aging.
- Helps prevent degenerative diseases: its consumption serves to help prevent degenerative diseases, including neurodegenerative ones, reducing the chances of their appearing, at least early. This is because it facilitates the absorption of antioxidants.
- Strengthens the treatment of estrogen imbalances: this omega serves to help in hormonal problems linked to estrogens since it contains phytoestrogenic properties. It also helps heal hormone-related cardiovascular and skin conditions.
- It helps regenerate the skin and improves healing: this is because it favors the creation of keratinocytes, cells of the epidermis, since it is an antioxidant.
- Ally in cholesterol control: it has polyunsaturated fats that help regulate it, raising what is known as good and reducing what is called bad cholesterol.
- Although studies are still being carried out and the conclusions are not definitive, there are those who consider that omega 5 has a great impact in the treatment of patients with heart problems, diabetics and asthma problems. If you have any similar ailment or illness, seek medical advice before taking it.
How to take omega 5
There are three ways to use or take omega 5 today:
- Obtaining the oil that contains this fatty acid in the seeds of the pomegranate gives rise to an almost exclusive marketing of the product. Therefore, the easiest and most recommended option is to purchase omega 5 capsules. The first capsules containing omega 5 were launched on the market. Being an ecological and completely natural product, you can take it without any fear of possible side effects (for them to occur you would have to take huge amounts of this product or take it incorrectly, for example, as a food substitute, since it does not it is), but we recommend that you consult your doctor beforehand about the convenience of its consumption to treat the condition you want to prevent or combat.
- In addition to capsules, you can also find bottled omega 5 oil to apply directly to the skin. Likewise, in the case of dermatological and cosmetic treatments, we can find it in products with vegetable oils, such as soaps, serums, creams and lotions.
- If you eat pomegranates as a piece of fruit in your regular diet, you will also get omega 5. The dose you get will be less than with the capsules that contain it in concentrate, so you would have to consume quite a lot of pomegranate to match it. However, this fruit provides more benefits and nutrients to your body, so do not focus exclusively on this omega when eating it, as it is beneficial in many aspects.