Omega-6 : Omega-3 Ratio- an important biomarker for disease?

Omega-3 and omega-6 are known as essential fatty acids, essential meaning that we must get these from our diet as they cannot be synthesised by humans.

Most people will associate omega-3 with brain health, but it is also crucial for skin health, eye health, cardiovascular health, cellular function, immune function and much more. It is also an important anti-inflammatory factor in the body.

“The typical ‘western diet’ is said to provide a ratio of around 16:1 omega-6:omega-3 fatty acids, in comparison to estimates of 1:1 to 3:1 in the hunter-gatherer diet.”

Higher omega-6 levels, in comparison to omega-3, has been linked to higher levels of inflammation and can be associated with many of today’s most prevalent diseases, such as arthritis, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and many more.

Vegetable oils are a major source of omega-6 fatty acids (such as sunflower oil, palm oil, soya oil, corn oil and other ‘vegetable’ oils), which are found in most processed foods such as fast food, ready meals and convenience foods, such as crisps. The industrialisation of the meat industry also means that most meat is grain-fed, giving it a higher omega-6:omega-3 ratio composition than if it were grass-fed. This has even been seen with farm-raised salmon that is often fed corn or soybean meal.

For these reasons, many people find it difficult to meet the requirement of omega-3 in order to achieve the ideal ratio.

Different types of omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fattys acids can either be short-chain (flax, pumpkin seed, walnuts, hemp, dark green leafy veg) or long-chain (oily fish). We need the long-chain ones in our body, and we are able to convert short-chain into long-chain, however the conversion does depend on many factors such as nutritional status, stress and alcohol consumption.

For this reason many vegans and vegetarians are often deficient in omega-3 and would benefit from some form of supplementation.

The thing to remember here is that omega 6 is not the ‘bad guy’ it is still very much essential as we need it in order to survive, and it is found in many healthy foods, it’s just about finding the correct balance.

*please consult a healthcare professional before supplementing