Omega 6: Omega 3's Helpful Cousin?
Are you getting the right amount of omega 6... Or, are you getting too much?
Omega 6 is like omega 3's shadowy cousin. They have the same name, so we know they're related, but we don't hear about omega 6 very much.
That leads to a lot of confusion. People wonder, what is omega 6? Is it good for you? Does it have the same benefits as omega 3?
The simple answer is, omega 6 is another essential fatty acid, just like omega 3. And like omega 3, we can only get it from certain food sources -- we can't manufacture it. Furthermore, omega 6 fatty acids definitely provide benefits for the body.
So why does everyone talk about omega 3 fatty acids, but no one ever tells you to seek out omega 6 foods?
Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids
The reason you hear so much about omega 3 is simple: we don't eat enough of it. Think about the modern North American diet. We get omega 3s from flax, from walnuts, from fish... and, well, that's about it. So as you can see, there aren't very many foods that contain omega 3s -- and we don't really eat a lot of what foods there are.
Omega 6, on the other hand, is extremely abundant in our diets. Common omega 6 foods include pretty much any vegetable oil, from canola to peanut, in seeds, in nuts, and in the oils we extract from them. So what?, you may ask -- it's not like you're guzzling oil for breakfast, right?
Well, the thing is, you are. Check the ingredients on your breakfast cereal, your favorite snacks, the convenience foods in your cupboard and freezer. Chances are every single one of them will contain some form of these oils -- especially soybean oil, very common in snack foods.
You do need omega 6 fatty acids. They regulate important functions in your body. In fact, you need them in a ratio of about 3 servings of omega 6 to every 1 serving of omega 3 -- 3:1.
The modern American diet proportions itself closer to 25:1.
The dangers of excess omega 6
What does that mean? Two things. First of all, excessive omega 6 is unhealthy in and of itself. It creates inflammatory chemicals in your body. If it creates too many, you become at risk for cancer, heart disease, and many other health ailments.
Omega 3 fatty acids create anti-inflammatory chemicals. When the two balance, you achieve optimal health. But we aren't getting enough omega 3. Worse, omega 3 and omega 6 may actually battle (just like cousins) for space in your body. If omega 6 outnumbers 3 twenty five-to-one, you can guess the outcome.
The solution? Eat more naturally! Avoid prepackaged foods and focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and, of course, fish. Increase your omega 3 intake and decrease your omega 6 and your health will naturally fall into balance.
