Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, which means they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be ingested through foods. In the Western world, most people get far more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. However, the optimal ratio is much lower than the average intake and most people do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.
Description
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are two types of polyunsaturated fats, fats that contain two or more double bonds along their carbon chain. For omega-3 fatty acids, one of these double bonds is found between the third and fourth carbon atoms of the chain, and in omega-6 fatty acids the first double bond occurs between the sixth and seventh carbon of the chain.
Ratio
The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is between 1:14 and 1:25, or between 14 to 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3 in the diet, for most people in the Western world, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The ideal ratio should be closer to 1:1, according to a 2002 report in the journal Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. A ratio of 1:10 or higher was linked to an increase in disease and mortality. Rates under 1:4 caused decreases in the incidence of disease, with lower levels, such as 1:2.5, considered even healthier.
Significance
Because omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation, keeping a proper ratio of these fatty acids helps keep the body in balance. Higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids that helps you approach a 1:1 ratio can reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and arthritis, reports the journal "Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy." People with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their bloodstream tend to have lower blood pressure, lower levels of triglycerides and higher levels of HDL, the good kind of cholesterol that protects against heart disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. In colorectal cancer patients with the same total intake of omega-3 fatty acids, those with a lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 had a reduction in tumor cell growth compared to those with a higher ratio, according to the journal "Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy."
Sources
Sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, flax seed, algae, krill and fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, and halibut. The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of two servings of fatty fish each week to ensure adequate omega-3 fatty acid intake. Vegetable oils, such as safflower, sunflower, corn and soybean oil, are common sources of omega-6 fatty acids in most people's diets. Nuts and seeds also provide high levels of these fats.
Solution
To achieve a good ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, most people need to consume more omega-3s. The Mediterranean diet, based on the eating habits of cultures on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, has a better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids than many other eating plans since it incorporates high levels of fish intake.
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