Omega-3 fatty acids are well-known for their health benefits, but you may not be aware that these fatty acids are just one part of a large family of healthy fats. In this family, you will also find other common nutrients, like omega-6 and omega-9. However, the least talked about of these is probably omega-7. Despite how little this healthy fat is discussed, it has plenty of excellent benefits that you should not overlook.
Whether you are or are not familiar with this nutrient, this guide will provide you with all the information you need to know about omega-7. Once you have a more complete picture of omega-7, you can discover how you will start incorporating it into your daily nutrient intake.
What Is Omega-7?
Similar to omega-3, -6, and-9, omega-7 is a type of unsaturated fatty acid. However, unlike these other fatty acids, omega-7 fatty acids are a type of monounsaturated fatty acid. Omega-7 gets its name from how it is chemically bonded. In these fatty acids, the site of unsaturation occurs seven carbon atoms away from the end of the molecule’s carbon chain.
There are multiple omega-7 fatty acids, but the two most common are palmitoleic acid and vaccenic acid. The body is able to synthesize omega-7 on its own, but it is still a good idea to be mindful about including this nutrient in your daily diet, especially since it provides such great value to your health.
You can find omega-7 in several fatty foods, including certain fish, like salmon and anchovies, as well as oils, like olive oil, macadamia oil, and sea buckthorn oil.
How Can I Include Omega-7 in My Daily Routine?
Although it is less discussed from a nutrition standpoint, there are still great ways to add omega-7 into your daily routine.
Food Sources
To include more omega-7 in your diet, you should incorporate foods like salmon and anchovies. You can also choose to drizzle olive oil or macadamia oil on your salads, as omega-7 fatty acids can be found in plant oils. Avocado is also a delicious source of omega-7.
Supplements
If you want a little extra support, you can choose to incorporate supplements into your daily routine. Omega-7s can often accompany omega-3s in certain foods and supplements, but it is not always guaranteed. For example, some fish oil supplements contain omega-7 while others do not. Since few omega-3 supplements list the amount of omega-7 they contain, it is best not to chance it and depend on guesswork.
However, you can choose to take a supplement dedicated specifically to providing you with omega-7. Of the two common types of omega-7, the most common is palmitoleic acid, and supplements containing this fatty acid are becoming increasingly available.
The most popular omega-7 supplement is sea buckthorn oil. You can take this supplement either through a capsule or by the spoonful. Although, despite the increasing popularity of this supplement, it is not always easy to find in every local grocery store.
On the other hand, when you choose easy-to-take iwi life supplements, you are guaranteed to get your daily recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids and a significant amount of omega-7. Why take multiple supplements when you can get two essential nutrients from just one?
How Much Omega-7 Do I Need?
Since omega-7 is often overlooked due to the importance of other unsaturated fatty acids, there is no set daily recommended value of omega-7. However, this does not mean that this nutrient is not important. Although your body can create omega-7 by synthesizing other nutrients, it does not necessarily synthesize all that you need.
You should still aim to obtain consistent sources of omega-7. It may be helpful to keep in mind that many of the limited studies surrounding the benefits of omega-7 were able to produce results with just small amounts of the fatty acid, meaning just a couple hundred milligrams over the course of a month.
If you are unsure whether the foods you eat contain omega-7, you can ensure you get enough of the nutrient and maintain peace of mind by taking a daily supplement. You can either take a supplement specifically for omega-7 or choose a supplement that contains a combination of unsaturated fatty acids, like iwi life. iwi life’s algae-based Omega-3 supplement provides 54mg of naturally occurring omega-7 fatty acids in one daily soft gel, which is more than enough to support your health.
What Are the Benefits of Omega-7?
Like other fatty acids, omega-7 offers several potential health benefits. Although omega-7 provides multiple benefits that are similar to omega-3, it does have unique benefits as well. The following are some of the main benefits of omega-7 fatty acids.
Supports a Healthy Metabolism and Healthy Weight
One of the most notable health benefits of omega-7 is its unique impact on your metabolism, helping to support healthy eating habits and a healthy weight. Omega-7 does this in large part through its role in the supporting your body's normal regulation of blood sugar and metabolism of dietary fat.
Omega-7 also influences hormone releases in the stomach and liver. Regular intake of this healthy fat helps support the regular production of hormones that signal to the body that you are full. The result of such a metabolic response leads to a healthier weight.
When you your body is functioning properly and giving you cues at the appropriate times that you are full, it may be easier to stick to a healthy plan of eating and maintain an optimal weight.
Not only does having healthy blood levels of omega-7 encourage you not to overeat, but it also helps your body efficiently use the food that you do eat.
Omega-7 fatty acids function as a type of lipokine that influences the body to properly utilize and store energy. Fat tissue is a living tissue that produces signals that change the metabolic activity of other tissues in the body. Lipokines help support your metabolism and omega-7 can work to maintain the body’s ability to effectively use blood sugar and stored fat in a normal way.
By supporting the proper burning of fat and use of blood sugar, you can more effectively maintain normal blood sugar levels and a healthy amount of stored fat.
Helps Maintain Normal Cholesterol Levels Already Within A Healthy Range
There are two main types of cholesterol. These are high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is considered “good” as it carries cholesterol to the liver to be removed from the body. Meanwhile, LDL cholesterol is considered “bad” cholesterol because it can build up with triglycerides in the blood and cause blockages or other problems in your arteries. Too much LDL cholesterol can result in issues with your circulation and heart.
Omega-7 has shown promising results in small studies for its ability to maintain normal cholesterol levels already within a healthy range. In studies, this healthy fat demonstrated the potential to maintain healthy levels of both triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in the blood when they were already within a normal range. At the same time, omega-7 also demonstrated the potential to maintain HDL cholesterol levels already within the healthy range.
Supports a Healthy Heart
Much like omega-3s, omega-7 also has a positive impact on supporting healthy heart function. Of course, supporting healthy cholesterol levels is one great way to maintain healthy circulation and support a healthy heart. However, omega-7 can provide other additional benefits.
One of the most significant benefits of omega-7 on heart health is its potential ability to maintain a healthy inflammatory response in the body.
Altogether, this nutrient helps to support healthy heart function and maintain consistent markers for heart health, even in small amounts.
Supports Healthy Skin
Another of the unique potential benefits demonstrated by omega-7 is its comprehensive impact on the skin. One of the key ways that omega-7, namely palmitoleic acid, supports healthy skin is through its potential to support proper collagen production. Collagen is a valuable protein in the skin, supporting the structure and elasticity of the organ.
Palmitoleic acid is particularly beneficial for supporting the process of collagen repair in the skin. Collagen is a crucial protein that maintains overall skin health and integrity, and can even help support your skin against signs of aging, like sun damage and fine lines.
By supporting important molecules in the skin, omega-7 can support the body’s ability to combat oxidative stress and restore the proteins collagen and elastin. In doing so, the fatty acid supports elasticity and resiliency in the skin. Omega-7 fatty acids, specifically palmitoleic acid, also have the potential to provide hydrating properties to your skin, resulting in a "glowing from within" look that so many of us would love to have.
You can see these benefits through both topical application of palmitoleic acid and by including the nutrient in your daily diet. These benefits may also extend to your hair and nails, as collagen plays an important part in both.
Get More Omega-7 With iwi life
Omega-7 fatty acids may be overlooked, but they offer many underrated potential benefits. As a result, you should aim to include them into your daily routine however works best for you. When you do, you can enjoy the many benefits, from supporting the health and structure of your skin to promoting your heart health.
For the most convenience, you should obtain your omega-7 by adding an iwi life omega-3 supplement to your daily routine. This supplement is rich in four important unsaturated fatty acids and formulated with polar lipids to improve your absorption of these fatty acids. By taking one soft gel daily, you can ensure you obtain all of your essential fatty acids, from omega-3 to omega-9. Explore iwi life’s complete selection of products to see how fatty acids can support your overall well-being.
Sources:
Omega-7 An Overlooked Fatty Acid | Life Extension Urology of Virginia
Should I take omega-7 Fatty Acids If I Already Take Fish Oil? | ConsumerLab.com