How to Optimize your Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio for Better Health and Wellbeing

Omega fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats, meaning they have many double bonds in their chemical structure. These double bonds prevent these fats from aggregating like saturated fats and thus are better for cardiovascular health. In addition, they are important for brain health, function, and development.

The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are no longer a secret to anyone, nor is it that many people are deficient in these critical essential fats associated with many mental and physical benefits. Many, however, do not know why it is important to optimize the omega-6 to omega-3 and EPA to DHA ratios for targeted health outcomes.

What is the Ideal Ratio

Many experts suggest that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids of approximately 1:1 or even 1:2. Native populations in Alaska, Inuits, with their traditional marine diet high in fish intake, have a reverse ratio of 1:4 (omega-6 to omega-3). Therefore, Inuits have a very low risk of cardiovascular disease. One caveat to going in the opposite direction is that their blood thinning diet high in omega-3s makes them more susceptible to strokes.

Unfortunately, modern Western diets are of a ratio of 15:1–16.7:1, or even more than that in some individuals. Therefore, many people eating a typical Western diet are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and have excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids. This is in large contrast with the diet on which human beings evolved and that established their genetic patterns, neurodevelopment, and biochemistry.

Ratios and Health

It is important to note that excessive amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and a very high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio promote the development of pathogenic processes, including cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, whereas increased levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio exert suppressive effects.

High levels of omega-6 fatty acids are strongly linked to inflammation, one of the silent killers of our generation. You can improve cardiovascular health, ameliorate depression, and reduce arthritis just by getting your omega fatty acids in balance.

In the U.S., the average person’s tissue contains mostly omega-6s (~75%). This is due to the fact that Americans get close to 10% of from omega-6s, and therefore contain as much omega-6 as possible. The U.S. is right at the top with the highest intake of omega-6s and greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease. This then creates a very inflammatory state that can trigger heart disease and neurodegeneration, to name a couple. Big pharma is aware of this and exploits the diseased state of society by inundating the market with non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Sources of Omega-6 Fatty Acids that you Should Avoid

-Processed vegetable oils — highest are sunflower, corn, soy, and cottonseed

-Processed foods using soy oil

-Grain-fed beef

-“Factory-raised” chicken and pork

-Non-free-range eggs

-Fatty cuts of conventionally raised meats

The use of these high omega-6 oils has tipped the scale in favor of inflammation and disease. Some of the oils above were long considered healthy, but nowadays the view has shifted.

In reality, the only oil low in omega-6s and high in omega-3s is flaxseed oil. Olive oil is not particularly high in omega-3s but is one of the lowest in omega-6s. Note: that oil is meant to be eaten without heating. Heating, like I have mentioned as well for other foods, changes the chemistry and generates damaging compounds.

Fats like lard, butter, and coconut oil may be low in omega-6 fatty acids, but are high in saturated fat and, in general, should be avoided. Coconut oil, however, should be a part of your diet in some capacity, as they are rich in medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs associated with various health benefits.

EPA vs DHA

Omega-3s come in two main types, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are well known for their health benefits, from cardiovascular health, radiant skin, memory improvement, and elevated mood. These two fatty acids are components of the cell membrane, have powerful anti-inflammatory functions, and play critical roles in human development, especially the nervous system, and heart health.

As I mentioned in the beginning, the ratio of EPA to DHA matters. Greater benefits are typically seen with higher EPA than DHA. Fish is often thought of the best source of EPA as the fish have already converted another omega fatty acid, alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), to EPA. ALA is found in many vegan food sources, such as chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts. The problems are that ALA is not efficiently converted to EPA and DHA, with women being 2.5-fold more efficient than men.

Due to this apparent low conversion of plant omega-3 sources, many experts advocate for fish oil or fatty fish in your diet. However, with marine ecosystems nearing a worldwide collapse and oceans becoming increasingly toxic, I cannot ethically recommend fish sources. Furthermore, there is evidence that non-fish eaters (vegans and vegetarians), who have a lower intake of EPA and DHA, still have blood levels of EPA and DHA similar to fish eaters. Apparently, the ability to convert ALA into EPA and DHA is upregulated in plant eaters.

ALA alone provides a number of health benefits, such as cardiovascular effects, neuroprotection, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the longer-chain EPA and DHA have received more attention for their more potent health benefits. In essence, it is about balance. Having enough of all of these is ideal and it seems that non-fish eaters, especially those with a diet high in whole-plant sources (i.e. flax seeds), can thrive and convert ALA to EPA and DHA.

Even though our brain contains more DHA than EPA, a ratio favoring EPA is associated with a more effective increase in anti-inflammatory markers, and cardiovascular and brain health.

Restoring Fatty Acid Balance

The easiest and best way to balance your ratios is to first cut back or, better yet, eliminate omega-6 fatty acid sources and increase those containing omega-3s, such as fish, flax, and seaweed. However, we cannot recommend fish any longer considering the state of the marine ecosystem due to human influence (climate change, overfishing, pollution, etc.). If you have a balanced diet, high in whole plant-based foods, then you will not need to worry.

In addition, consider the following dietary guidelines:

-Cook with safflower or olive oil. However, I prefer to use oil only in its virgin, unheated state (i.e. in a salad).

-Increase your intake of low saturated fat nuts (unsalted) like walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans.

-Eat more seeds. The best are chia, pumpkin, hemp, flax, and sunflower seeds.

-Eat more fish, though limit it to smaller amounts (6 oz or less) due to toxicity and environmental and ethical reasons. I personally do not eat fish and, as I mentioned above, vegetarians and vegans, have excellent ratios.

-Avoid packaged and processed foods, especially those high in soybean oil, whose consumption exploded since the 1960s due to its cheap price and presence in so many processed foods.

-Avoid the vegetable oils we mentioned above that are high in omega-6s.

-If you eat meat and poultry, buy lean cuts and trim fats. However, again these should be avoided as they still increase the risk of a number of diseases and the way these animals are grown (factory farming) is destroying the environment.

Benefits of Omega-3s

-Critical for normal brain development (neurogenesis, neurotransmission, and neuroprotection) and function. Furthermore, a lack of omega-3s is associated with psychiatric ailments (i.e. depression) and inflammatory neurodegeneration (i.e. Alzheimer’s disease). Remember that the cell membrane of brain cells are abundant in EPA and DHA. A lack of DHA in the diet leads to deficits in learning and memory. In older adults, lower levels of DHA are associated with brain aging.

- Improved depressive symptoms, especially with a ratio favoring EPA over DHA.

-Better cardiovascular health with DHA being more effective than EPA.

-DHA may improve blood flow to the brain and ameliorate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even helping boys improve their attention problems more than medicine alone.

-Fighting inflammation to reduce your risk of various chronic diseases more commonly seen in western, aged individuals. In addition, DHA supplementation reduced arthritis symptoms by 28% compared to placebo.

-May help to prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease. Lower DHA levels are seen in Alzheimer’s disease patients compared to older adults without the disease. However, supplementation seems to be effective at slowing down age-related decline before the disease becomes manifest.

-Lower blood pressure.

-Support male reproductive system (i.e. better sperm quality, motility, and frequency, which impacts fertility).

-Better mental health. Getting adequate amounts of DHA and EPA is associated with reduced depression risk.