Omega-3 fatty acids are a family of unsaturated fatty acids that have in common a carbon–carbon double bond in the n-3 position; that is, the third bond from the methyl end of the fatty acid.
The primary omega-3 is alpha linoleic acid (ALA), which can be found in plant foods ranging from walnuts to hemp to perilla to chia to flax.
Omega-3 fatty acids began to be recognized as a nutritional powerhouse following a number of studies and discoveries in the closing decades of the twentieth century. Some scientists and doctors contend that omega-3 is the single most crucial supplement that we can take.