The bad Omega fat you don't know about
I write about the importance of omega 3 frequently, as I feel it is the most interesting nutrient of the century, a superstar nutrient of sorts whose long list of benefits is only getting longer with each passing day. But besides knowing all about omega 3, it is also important to know about its counterpart - omega 6. Because, we are faltering in that aspect by consuming way too much of it unwittingly.
It's time to make sense of the omega 3 and omega 6 ratio debate. For that, let's first get our fat facts straight!Enough has been said about good fats and bad fats. It has been established that artificially produced trans-fatty acids are bad in any amount and saturated fats from animal products should be kept to a minimum.
And the best fats are those that contain the essential fatty acids (EFAs), so named simply so because we cannot live without them, and the body cannot make them (like vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients).
That is why we must get them from the foods we eat.
Now polyunsaturated fatty acids are a type of EFAs, and they are grouped into two - the omega-6 EFAs and the omega-3 EFAs.
While our body needs both omega 3s and omega 6s, and it is their combination that helps protect our heart, it is becoming evident that their imbalanced consumption can lead to serious health consequences.
In fact, it is increasingly becoming clear that a major reason for the high incidence of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, early ageing, and even some forms of cancer is our disproportionate intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
This imbalance is known to affect our brain too for it is about 60 per cent fat and the fats we eat strongly influence the ability of our cell membranes and brain to function. Omega-3 fats improve our brain cells' response to insulin, neurotransmitters and other messengers, and also facilitate repair.
On the other hand, too much of omega-6 fat - besides contributing to insulin resistance - may also alter mood, and impair learning and cell repair.
In fact, high omega-6 and low omega-3 fats have been found to lead to profound changes in brain size and function.
The imbalance
So I believe that while the lack of omega 3 is one of the most serious health issues plaguing contemporary society, an even bigger problem is our excess consumption of too many processed omega-6 fats in the wrong proportion with omega 3.
The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in most diets today ranges from 25:1 to 50:1, whereas the ideal ratio is in the range of 3: 1 and 1:1. So it is critically important to not just boost the intake of omega 3 but also dramatically reduce the amount of omega-6 fats in our diet.
Because if we don't lower the omega-6 fats well enough, the ratio will stay skewed and we will not receive many of the wonderful benefits of omega-3 fats.So how does one go about it?
The idea is to limit our intake of omega 6-rich foods like dairy products, meat, eggs and vegetable oils instead of doing away with them. Follow these steps:Use less oil. Many vegetable oils contain a combination of omega 6s and omega 3s, so cut their usage to size.
Cut down on hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and margarine.
Cut back on packaged foods. They are often high in omega 6s as well as trans fats.
And, finally, I believe that while reducing the intake of omega 6s can help, getting more omega 3s from food is an even better way to go. So focus on including fatty fish, walnuts and flaxseed in your diet.