What are omega fatty acids?
Omega Fatty Acids are a polyunsaturated fat, which are known as one of the healthy types of fat. There are two primary types of omega fatty acids that are most discussed. They are omega-3 and omega-6 fats.
What is all the fuss about consuming omega fatty acids?
Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are considered essential fatty acids, which means that our bodies need them to function properly, yet our bodies do not make them. Therefore, we can only get these fatty acids through consuming foods that contain them.
Why do we need to consume omega fatty acids and what are the benefits?
Omega fatty acids serve many important functions. They are components of cell membranes, which are essential for both cell growth and maintenance, as well as brain function. They are also precursors to many substances in the body like those involved with the inflammatory response as well as in regulating blood pressure. There is extensive evidence for omega fatty acids protecting against heart disease and also increasing evidence for their role in protecting against other diseases such as diabetes and certain cancers.
Some key Omega-3 benefits include:
- Improving heart health by reducing triglycerides in the blood, reducing risk of an irregular heart rhythm, slowing the formation of plaque, lowering blood pressure
- Supporting mental health through enhanced cognitive function and also management or prevention of depression, Parkinson’s, and psychosis
- Supporting brain development in infants
- Helping with weight loss by supporting weight management and waist circumference
- Protecting against inflammation and chronic disease
Some key Omega-6 benefits include:
- Helping to control blood sugar levels
- Reducing diabetes risk
- Lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels
- Lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)
- Reducing cancer risk
- Protecting against inflammation and chronic disease
How much should you eat?
The first thing to consider in terms of how much you should eat is the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. While omega-6 fatty acids are required and serve many important functions, consuming a higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids has been connected to chronic disease and inflammation.
Why do we need to even consider this?
Well, the typical dietary patterns in North America and the Western world has resulted in a higher consumption of omega-6 fatty acids. Pre-industrial populations would have consumed omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in ratios between 4:1 and 10:4 depending on the type of food consumed by various groups at the time. However, these ratios today have changed considerably where we now tend to see that the ratio is closer to 16:1. This is because of the amount of processed oils that we consume that were not able to be produced many years ago. Because of the addition of these processed oils to many foods that we consume daily, our ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 consumption has increased greatly.
So let’s talk about how much omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids we should consume.
For omega 3 fatty acids specifically, healthy adults are recommended to consume a minimum of 250-500 mg of combined eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) each day. Higher amounts are often recommended for specific health conditions. For omega-6 fatty acids, it is recommended that 10g/day is consumed. In terms of specific ratios, 2.5 to 9% of energy should come from omega-6 fatty acids while 0.5 to 2% of energy should come from omega-3 fatty acids.
Foods Rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids Include:
- fish (e.g., cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, anchovies)
- nuts and seeds (e.g., walnuts, soybeans, flaxseeds, chia seeds)
- vegetable oils (e.g., flaxseed, soybean, canola oil)
- oysters
- caviar
- shrimp
- seaweed and algae (e.g., nori, spirulina, chlorella)
- other examples that are lower in omega-3 fatty acids: eggs, spinach, brussel sprouts, etc.
Foods Rich in Omega 6 Fatty Acids Include:
- vegetable oils (e.g., safflower, sunflower, avocado, soybean oils)
- soy (e.g., soybeans, tofu)
- corn
- nuts and seeds (e.g., walnuts, almonds, cashews hemp seeds, sunflower seeds)
- peanut butter
- eggs
There are also many supplements on the market that have balance omega-3 and omega-6 ratios. These may also include another fatty acid not discussed in this article known as omega-9. Omega-9 has also been shown to have many health benefits such as improving insulin sensitivity and reducing inflammation; however, it is not considered a strictly essential fatty acid as our bodies can produce them, which is why it isn’t discussed in detail in this article.
* Key takeaway *
Omega Fatty Acids play very important roles in many biological functions and are therefore critical for overall health. However, we need to pay attention to the types of foods we are consuming to maintain a balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids to reach optimal health and see beneficial results. The typical diet in the Western world sees most of us consuming more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. We can flip this around by becoming more informed consumers who are aware of what is in the foods we are consuming and making choices that reflect our nutrition and wellness goals.
