How to Optimize Your Ω-6 to Ω-3 Ratio？

Scientists suspect that a distorted ratio of these polyunsaturated fatty acids may be one of the most damaging aspects of the Western diet.

Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are called polyunsaturated fats because they have many double bonds (poly=many).

Your body doesn’t have the enzymes to produce them, so you must get them from your diet. If you don't get any from your diet, you develop a deficiency and become sick. That is why they are termed "essential" fatty acids.

However, these fatty acids are different than most other fats. They are not simply used for energy or stored, they are biologically active and have important roles in processes like blood clotting and inflammation.

But omega-6s and omega-3s don't have the same effects. Scientists believe omega-6s are pro-inflammatory, while omega-3s are anti-inflammatory.

Of course, inflammation is essential for your survival. It helps protect your body from infection and injury, but it can also cause severe damage and contribute to disease when it’s chronic or excessive.

In fact, chronic inflammation may be one of the leading drivers of the most serious modern diseases, including heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's and many types of cancer.

Scientists have hypothesized that a diet high in omega-6s but low in omega-3s increases inflammation, while a diet that includes balanced amounts of each reduces inflammation.

Those who follow a Western diet are typically eating way too much omega-6s relative to omega-3s. Many believe this is a serious health problem.

SUMMARY: An omega-6 to omega-3 ratio that is too high may contribute to excess inflammation in the body, potentially raising the risk of various diseases.

 The Problem With the Western Diet

Western populations are eating large amounts of processed seed and vegetable oils. Some of these oils are loaded with omega-6s.

The technology to process these oils didn’t exist until about 100 years ago, and people have not had time to genetically adapt to the high amounts of omega-6.

In the graph below, you can see the dramatic increase in soybean oil consumption in the US, from zero to 24 pounds (11 kgs) per person per year. This amounted to a whopping 7% of total calories in the year 1999.

Source: National Institutes of Healt

Soybean oil is currently the biggest source of omega-6 fatty acids in the US because it is really cheap and found in all sorts of processed foods.

In the graph below, you can see how the amount of omega-6 fatty acids found in body fat stores has increased by more than 200% (3-fold) in the past 50 years alone.

Source: Dr. Stephan Guyenet

Thus, the fats people are eating today are leading to actual changes in their bodies, both in terms of their body fat stores and cell membrane health.

A high amount of omega-6 in cell membranes is strongly associated with the risk of heart disease, which makes perfect sense given their potential pro-inflammatory effects:

Source: National Institutes of Healt

However, no high-quality controlled studies have investigated the effects of omega-6 acids on heart disease.

Also, controlled studies show that linoleic acid — the most common omega-6 fatty acid — doesn’t increase levels of inflammatory markers.

In fact, it remains unclear whether a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids has any effects on the risk of chronic lifestyle diseases.

On the other hand, lots of evidence supports the positive health effects of omega-3 fatty acids. For example, their heart benefits are significant.

Omega-3s may also improve all sorts of mental disorders like depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Nonetheless, excessive intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6, has several risks. The double bonds in the fatty acid molecules are very reactive.

They tend to react with oxygen, forming chain reactions of free radicals. These free radicals can cause cell damage, which is one of the mechanisms behind aging and the onset of cancer.

If you want to improve your ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, it’s probably a bad idea to eat a lot of omega-3 to compensate. Having a relatively low, balanced amount of each is best.

SUMMARY：The consumption of vegetable oils high in omega-6 has increased dramatically in the past 100 years. Scientists believe this may cause serious harm.

The single most important thing you can do to reduce your omega-6 intake is avoid processed seed and vegetable oils that are high in omega-6, as well as the processed foods that contain them.

Here is a chart with some common fats and oils. Avoid all that have a high proportion of omega-6 (blue bars).

Source: POS Pilot Plant Corporation

You can see that butter, coconut oil, lard, palm oil and olive oil are all relatively low in omega-6.

Sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed oils are, by far, the worst. Avoid these like the plague.

It's important to realize that benefiting from a diet low in omega-6 fatty acids is a long-term process and requires permanent lifestyle changes.

Most people store immense amounts of omega-6 fatty acids in their body fat, and it can take a while to get rid of them.

If you are concerned about omega-6 fatty acids, use vegetable oils that contain low amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, such as olive oil. Also, consider taking omega-3 supplements or eating fatty fish twice per week.

Resource from: Healthline Blog

Picture：Pinterest 

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