What are they and are we getting enough?
Did you know that in society today most of us are eating a ratio close to 20:1 omega 6’s to omega 3’s (1)!! That is so crazy when we think about the phospholipid bilayer of our cells. A much smaller ratio like in the Paleolithic days was around 1:1 and having this higher ratio of omega 6’s to 3’s has been linked to an increase in obesity and systemic inflammation (1). To me that makes me think of all the health problems that people are struggling with today.
“Having this higher ratio of omega 6’s to 3’s has been linked to an increase in obesity and systemic inflammation."
There are a lot of benefits to omega 3’s and varying doses contribute to positive aspects for health. Anything from benefiting mental health, decreasing inflammation, preserving muscle mass as we age and so much more according to Harvard Health who recommend fish consumption of fatty fish or other sources of omega 3’s to be consumed a couple times per week (2). If fish isn’t on the menu there are supplements on the market whether oils or capsules that help me meet my omega needs.
Surprisingly, all the Omega's are important. Omega 3, 6, and 9 all have important properties for health and great to focus on these kinds of fats over saturated and trans fat (3, 4). Incorporating a wide variety of all these and ensuring the ratio between them is around equal will have strong benefits for health overall (4).
How are you getting your Omega’s in the diet?
References:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/no-need-to-avoid-healthy-omega-6-fats
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