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Omega 3 and Omega 6 Ratios
Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are both essential nutrients and are important for a healthy body. We need to eat adequate amounts of both. What is more important than how much omega 3 or omega 6 we get is the balance between them. We need the right omega 3 and omega 6 ratios.
For a number of reasons, the omega 3 and omega 6 ratios in the Western diet are not balanced. Indeed, it is not possible to get a good balance of the two fatty acids in a Western diet without being intentional about it. A “well-balanced” Western diet contains somewhere between ten and thirty times as much omega 6 fatty acid as omega 3.
There are at least three ways to improve the omega 3 and omega 6 ratios in our diets: decrease the amount of omega 6 we consume, increase the amount of omega 3, or eat a different type of diet.
Decrease Omega 6
Because the Western diet is high in omega 6 polyunsaturated fats, it seems simple to simply cut back. Dieticians have been telling us to decrease the amount of fat in our diets for years. That should take care of the problem.
Alas, it doesn’t. We can—and probably should—decrease our total fat intake. When we do that, though, we mostly decrease the amount of saturated and trans fats we eat, and that is a good thing. Omega 6 fatty acids, however, are ubiquitous and found in many common foods, including most vegetable oils. Some foods, such as soybeans, have been hybridized to increase the amount of omega 6 in them. Omega 6 is a polyunsaturated fat, and is a popular and healthy substitute for saturated fat. Most of the processed foods you buy that claim to have no saturated or trans fat will, instead, have omega 6 fatty acids.
In addition, much of the omega 3 fatty acids that were naturally present in the foods we ate before the modern agricultural era have been replaced by other kinds of fat. This has resulted in omega 3 depletion in the Western diet, and few of us get enough omega 3’s.
Increase Omega 3
This is the most common approach to improving omega ratios, and it is a sensible one. Adding foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids and/or taking an omega 3 supplement improves the ratio and provides the omega 3 that is missing from the Western diet.
As stated above, it is necessary to be intentional about getting adequate amounts of omega 3. Adding foods that are rich in omega 3, such as green leafy vegetables, fish, and certain vegetable oils helps, and adding an omega 3 supplement helps even more.
Eat a Different Diet
Studies have demonstrated that people who do not eat the standard Western diet
have less heart disease, arthritis and other diseases of the modern world. The
Mediterranean diet, for instance, uses more whole grains, vegetables and
fish than the Western diet. When the diet is analyzed, it has a much
better omega 3 and 6 balance. Inuits, who eat very high fat diets,
have very little heart disease. The fat they eat is almost entirely
omega 3.
Eating a “heritage” diet would also result in a better omega balance. A heritage diet is the diet we ate before modern agricultural practices. It includes non-hybridized (heritage) varieties of fruits, vegetables and grains, wild game and fish, and grass-fed beef, pork and fowl. Unfortunately, these foods are not widely available and they are more expensive than the engineered foods in our grocery stores.
The right balance between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids is essential for healthy bodies. Adding omega 3 or changing to an omega-balanced diet can help us get that balance. | | |
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For free friendly advice or to order over the phone with a card call: 01772 883950
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