Omega-3 and omega-6: what is the difference?

For more than a decade now, studies have been published on the importance of increasing the consumption of essential fatty acids (AGE), that is, those fats that are healthy and that our body is not capable of manufacturing on its own. Fats that we must obtain through the food that we put on our plate, fats that we know by the name of omega-3 and omega-6.

The importance of consuming omega-3 and omega-6

We are clear that Fats are essential for the proper functioning of the body. We need fat for our bodies to make hormones, we need fat because it is part of the membrane that protects each of our cells, and we need fat because it is the main material that makes up our brains.

That being said, it is even clearer that fat is good. Now, we must choose the sources of fat that provide us with that which is beneficial for our body.

There is a lot of confusion on this subject, as we often read that we must increase the consumption of omega-3 and decrease that of omega-6, as if the latter was the bad boy. This is not exactly like this, the body needs both omega-3 and omega-6but we must take into account the proportion between the consumption of one and the other so that they perform their function correctly within the body.

The correct ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids should be between 1:1 and 4:1, but the sad reality is that the typical standard diet has an average ratio of 20:1 and the imbalance in the consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 leads to serious health problems.

To better understand it, we will clarify the role of each of these fatty acids.

What are omega-3 and omega-6 good for?

Omega-3 fatty acid is involved in the process of regulating and reducing inflammationprevent blood from clotting too much and make it flow correctly within veins and arteries, reduce cytokines (involved in inflammation processes), improve insulin response, and regulate prostaglandin production.

Omega-6 fat has a very important role in the structure, protection and regulation of cells. It has an important role in such vital functions as regulating metabolism, promoting the immune response (including inflammation), regulating blood coagulation and contributing to the balance of its lipid profile.

The foods richest in omega-3 and omega-6

Now that we know the importance of consuming this type of fat, what foods can we find them in?

The foods rich in omega-3 They are seeds such as chia, flax, hemp or pumpkin seeds, walnuts and algae. In a standard diet, we find very few foods rich in omega-3. We also find omega-3 in oily fish, but it will not be the cleanest option due to its high risk of heavy metal contamination.

The foods rich in omega-6 they are much more common: avocados, legumes, seeds, nuts… Although the main source of omega-6 are the vegetable oils that we use for cooking or that are found in processed foods such as sunflower, corn or soybean oil.

A high consumption of these oils rich in omega-6 accompanied by a low consumption of foods rich in omega-3 causes a strong imbalance between both fatty acids.

The imbalance of omega-6 and omega-3 and its consequences

The imbalance between these fatty acids causes inflammationthe great evil of the modern world, and is one of the main causes of the deterioration of our health.

any of the symptoms or consequences that we may experience due to the imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 are:

Chronic pain and inflammationHardening of the arteriesHeart diseaseHormonal imbalancesAutoimmune diseasesRespiratory conditionsBlood clotting problems

How to balance omega-6 and omega-3 fats

Many health professionals would turn to omega-3 supplementation by taking oily fish oil pearls, but why not clean the problem at the root?

Can regain balance between both fatty acids, eliminating processed foods and excess vegetable oils from our diet, that is, reducing our intake of omega-6.

We can also increase our intake of omega-3 with a more natural diet, rich in green leafy vegetables, fruits, seeds and raw nuts, and whole grains such as quinoa or millet.

A good and delicious trick to make sure that we compensate these levels is to prepare a chia pudding for dessert for dinner. This delicious option not only will adjust the ratio between the omegas but it will help us to maintain a good intestinal transit and will leave us satisfied. It is an ideal recipe for nights, when cravings for sweet things tend to wake up.

Are omega-3 supplements recommended?

When we consume omega-3s, they must be transformed into longer fatty acid chains, EPA and DHA, in order to be used. However, many people lose the ability to do this process due to the poor diet or high stress levels.

Omega-3 supplements are one of the few that I do recommend taking on many occasions, especially when we are still making the transition to a cleaner diet. So take a DHA or EPA supplement from algae It will be a good nutritional guarantee.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PubMed: “The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids”, appeared in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.