Omega 3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil and flaxseed, have been attributed with a variety of health benefits. Eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, are derived from fish oil, while alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, is found in flaxseed, pumpkinseed and hempseed oils. EPA and DHA exert protective effects against cardiovascular disease, while all of the omega-3 fatty acids have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in living tissues. The metabolic products of these fatty acids account for their properties.
Enzymes
Two classes of fatty acids are essential for human health. The omega-6 fatty acids are derived from dietary linoleic acid, or LA. The omega- 3 fatty acids include ALA, EPA and DHA. According to an October 2008 "Lipids in Health and Disease" review, all of these fatty acids are metabolized by the same enzymes in your cells. However, the end products of these enzymatic reactions are distinctly different for the two fatty acid classes. Omega-6 fatty acids generally produce inflammatory molecules, whereas metabolism of omega-3 fatty acids generates anti-inflammatory molecules.
Competing Omegas
Since omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids compete for the "attention" of the same cellular enzymes, the proportion of these two fatty acid classes in your cells influences the levels of inflammatory chemicals in your bloodstream. If you consume more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s, the enzymes in your cells will create a preponderance of inflammatory molecules. Although human beings evolved on a diet that contained equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, the typical Western diet provides 15 to 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids. According to Dr. Artemis Simopoulos at The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington, D.C., this dietary practice increases your risk for a variety of chronic diseases.
Resolving Inflammation
It was once believed that competition for metabolic enzymes was the main mechanism for the observed anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids. This passive interference with the conversion of omega-6 fatty acids does play a role in reducing inflammation. However, scientists have discovered several products of omega-3 metabolism that actively work to abort inflammation and return your tissues to a normal physiologic state. These molecules, called resolvins, protectins, lipoxins and maresins, arise directly from enzymatic conversion of omega-3s, and their role in protecting your tissues from inflammation is only beginning to be understood.
Considerations
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are both required for optimal health, and both classes of fatty acids are metabolized by the same enzymes in your cells. However, the preponderance of omega-6 fatty acids in the Western diet is likely contributing to many inflammatory states -- heart disease, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and metabolic syndrome -- that are prevalent among Americans. The optimal dietary proportions of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids have not been determined, but any effort to increase omega-3 fatty acid consumption is likely to confer health benefits.
References
- "Lipids in Health and Disease"; Essential Fatty Acids and Their Metabolites Could Function as Endogenous HMG-CoA Reductase and ACE Enzyme Inhibitors, Anti-Arrhythmic, Anti-Hypertensive, Anti-Atherosclerotic, Anti-Inflammatory, Cytoprotective, and Cardioprotective Molecules; U.N. Das; October 2008
- "Experimental Biology and Medicine"; The Importance of the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio in Cardiovascular Disease and Other Chronic Diseases; A. Simopoulos; June 2008
- "Biochimica et Biophysica Acta"; Specialized Pro-resolving Lipid Mediators in the Inflammatory Response: An Update; G. Bannenberg, C.N. Serhan; December 2010
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