Omega3 vs Omega6

Omega3 v Omega6

Both types of essential fatty acids - omega 3 and omega 6 are classified differently according to their chemical structure. We tend to get too much of the omega 6 or 'bad fats' in our diet as compared to omega 3 or 'good fats' found abundantly in fish.

Scientists have estimated that in a Western style diet, we get about 14-20 times as much omega 6 fatty acids as omega 3's, as compared to target of about 5-10 times. To support optimal health in our bodies, some researchers are advocating the range of 1:1 and 4:1 only.

OMEGA 3

Omega 3 is so much sought after these days that many products are enriched with it - eggs, milk, breakfast cereals and even junk snacks. Most importantly, to women, omega showers their skin with a beautiful glow and for the men it helps to produce healthy sperm.

As for kids they can benefit from omega3 with better memory and intelligence. Even ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) kids who received concentrated Omega 3 fish oil supplements which contain Omega 3 fatty acids showed definite improvements in their school grades and ability to focus on given tasks as it can change that and help these kids to become calmer, focused and better able to achieve their full potential.

Scientific research has already proven that the benefits of omega3 is wide-ranging - to include prevention of heart disease, autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal bleeding and cancers of the breast, colon and prostate.

Fish like tuna and salmon are known to be rich in Omega3 EFAs and EPA - both are the building blocks for hormones that control immune function, blood clotting and cell growth as well as components of cell membranes.

Other sources are flaxseed oil, canola oil, green leafy vegetables and animal meat. Vegetarian sources, such as walnuts and flaxseeds contain a precursor omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid called ALA) that the body must convert to EPA and DHA. Fish oil supplements is an alternative for those who do not consume or take too little of omega 3 foods or omega 3 fortified foods.

OMEGA-6

Like Omega 3, Omega 6 is another essential fatty acids our body cannot live without. It is found abundantly in raw nuts, seeds, legumes and vegetable oils such as primrose oil, sesame oil and soybean oil. Only pure oil extracts not subject to heat should be chosen as heat destroys the essential fatty acids. A deficiency can also cause health problems but rarely happens unless you are on low fat diet. 

It protects us against the risk of heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and skin diseases like eczema and acne. Other functions include the production of steroids, muscle and reflex regulation, rate of cell division, proper kidney function, transportation of oxygen to tissues from red blood cells, monitors immune response, controls pressure in the blood vessels, joints and eyes, prevents blood cells from forming clusters resulting in blood clots and maintains cell integrity.

How is Omega6 bad for the body?

Refined vegetable oils, such as soy oil, are used in most of the snack foods, cookies, crackers and sweets in our diet as well as in fast food. How does Omega6 used in processing affects the food?

+  As vegetable oils hit high temperature easily, a toxic chemical known as acrylamide is created when fries and other foods high in starch are dropped into hot grease. High levels of the possible carcinogen can be found in numerous daily foods that are fried or baked at high temperatures.

+  Recent studies showed that the level of chemical contamination like DDT, TDE and DDE in soy bean is no less than milk fat. You can expect the other agricultural produce to be laden with toxins as well.

+  Hexane, a food-grade gasoline is primarily used in oilseed extraction globally. It is highly volatile, flammable and explosive, and known to trigger explosions and fires in vegetable oil plants and some fast food fryers. It is also listed as one of the 189 toxic chemicals by EPA. Inhalation of hexane can damage the nervous system, leading to numbness and weakness in the hands and feet. Constant exposure can result in paralysis and at very high levels in the air, signs of damage to sperm-forming cells in male rats occur.

--  Incidentally, cooking oils are processed with solvents containing small amounts of hexane. However, there are other petroleum derivatives present in cooking oils such as pentane, heptanes, octane and benzene. In total, what we consume is more than what is expected previously.

--  In fact, animals are also being fed higher levels of such toxins. Hexane levels in solvent-processed vegetable oil residue used for animal feed can hit 0.5%. This is sufficient to kill piglets, whose digestive tracts are quite similar to ours.

Organ and tissue damage have been reported. Behavorial changes in children are also observed, including decreased concentration and learning ability, hot-temper and restlessness.

Correct ratio

As a health guidance, the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 should be at parity. In the past, our ancestors can achieve this. Today, the ratio has risen to 20:1 and for some people as high as 35:1. This imbalance is likely to be the culprit for all the major modern ailments - NOT saturated fats or cholesterol according to the new cholesterol theory.

Overdose of omega 6 can disrupt the production of prostaglandin, an important hormone-like substance that act as chemical messengers and regulators of various body processes. This can result in blood clot formation, inflammation, high blood pressure, irritation of the digestive tract, depressed immune function, sterility, cell proliferation, cancer and weight gain.

How to correct the imbalance?

+ Increase the intake of Omega 3 foods. Not all levels of Omega-3 in similar foods are equal. It is found that eggs, dairy products and animal meats that are sourced from farms where natural breeding on grass fed land contain much higher level of Omega-3. Grain-fed animals are inferior in comparison. A study conducted on beef from grass-fed cattle showed a healthy ratio of 3:1 but when switched to grain feeding, the ratio increased to 11:1 after 120 days and got worst to 20:1 after the 200th days.

+ Reduce substantially the use of polyunsaturated vegetable oils for cooking purpose. An indication of the ratios of some oils and their related products are as follows: corn (46:1), soya bean (7:1), sunflower (zero in omega-3). Basically, all these oils are loaded with too much omega 6 fats and minimal omega 3 content. For information, one tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6 and soybean contains 6,940 mg. Not forgetting they turn rancid (rather toxic) easily from exposure to heat, light and air. Unless they are cold-pressed and stored in dark bottles, most commercially available vegetable oils are rancid even before reaching you.

As we know hydrogenated (processed to make the oil more solid eg. margarine) oils converted into trans-fatty acids are dangerous to the body. Thus, is best to reduce consumption of processed and fast foods, and polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower, soy, cottonseed etc) altogether. Also note the level of chemicals added to the vegetable oils is alarmingly high to cause serious health problems.

+ Hence, the old advice from health experts to take mainly polyunsaturated oils and avoid saturated fats in order to protect against heart disease and cancer may not hold. In olden times, polyunsaturated cooking oils did not exist and the sources of omega 3 and omega 6 are derived mainly from vegetables, fish, eggs and meat. You may be delighted to know that animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labeled polyunsaturated.

Conclusion

In general, hormones derived from the two classes of essential fatty acids have opposite effects. Those from omega-6 fatty acids tend to increase inflammation (an important component of the immune response), blood clotting, and cell proliferation, whilst those from omega-3 fatty acids decrease those functions. Hence, striking a balance is crucial to maintain optimum health.