The best source for omega 3 fatty acids, hand's down, is fish. Of course, not all fish are equal either....and some have more omega 3 fatty acids than other kinds of fish.

But before we get into fish and omega three fatty acids, let's discuss why fish is better than other sources.

Plant sources -- such as flaxseed, which is often cited as a good source -- has a form of omega 3 fatty acid called ALA. Fish oils, on the other hand, have DHA and EPA.

ALA is converted by the body into DHA and EPA. This conversion doesn't always happen efficiently, which means that people who rely on sources of omega 3's in such things as flaxeed may not end up getting the DHA and EPA they need if their bodies don't convert it well.

DHA and EPA are very important for brain development, maintainance, and cardiovascular health. As just one example, almost 1/3 of the brain's mass is DHA fats! That should give you an idea of how important this omega 3 fatty acid is.

Best source for omega 3 fatty acids

Now, let's talk about fish and omega three fatty acids. One problem to be aware of with fish as a source of omega 3's is that much of the fish nowadays harbors contaminants. This is due to pollution in most Ocean waters. Toxins such as mercury and PCB's can accumulate in the flesh of fish and even though they are a great source of Omega 3's, you don't want to eat those toxins just to get the good stuff.

That's why many people are now turning to purified fish oil suppplements as the best source for omega 3 fatty acids because you get all the good stuff without the bad stuff.

Fish oils can be purified by a process called molecular distillation which removes the toxins based on weight. The pure fish oil -- rich in omega 3 fatty acids -- are then used in capsules.

One of the fish sources that naturally contains very high levels of DHA and EPA is called the Hoki fish. You don't hear too much about this fish in the Western world because it thrives natively to the cold, deep waters in the Ocean off the coast of Southern New Zealand.

But hoki are used in some of the highest quality fish oil supplements in the world.

Fish and omega three fatty acids -- the bottomline is that Hoki is one of the best sources of fish for crucial omega 3 fats and you don't have to live in New Zealand to easily obtain it.