Although it may sound like the name of a Star Wars battleship, "Omega-3” is actually a fat (or fatty acid) that our body needs to function efficiently.

There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: DHA, EPA and ALA. Studies tend to show health benefits from the consumption of the DHA and EPA forms of omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily, cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, herring and halibut, and in fish-oil supplements.

The beneficial effects of ALA are not as well-documented. ALA  is contained in some nuts, pumpkin seeds and certain vegetable oils such as canola, flaxseed and olive oil. Your body also converts ALA into DHA and EPA.

Omega-3 fat is good news for your heart. Over the past decade, several major studies (including the U.S. Physicians' Health Study and the Nurses' Health Study) have shown that consumption of omega-3 significantly improves heart health and reduces the risk of heart complications.

In the Physicians' Study, men with the lowest levels of omega-3 in the blood were 81 percent more likely to suffer death from sudden heart failure than those with the highest levels in their blood.

Omega-3 fats help to keep your heart healthy by:

• Lowering triglyceride levels
• Reducing hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Reducing the risk of coronary heart disease