The Western Diet
Modern Western diets typically have an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio that is much higher than is ideal for our bodies. Pre-Industrial diets had a ratio of about 4:1, where today the ratio is nearly 16:1. High Omega-6 in cell membranes is strongly associated with the risk of heart disease, given their potential pro-inflammatory effects. In contrast, evidence supports Omega-3s are an anti-inflammatory.
Reducing your Omega-6 intake is vital by avoiding processed seed and vegetable oils and well as processed foods. At the same time ensuring to include foods higher in Omega-3s will be the start of bringing the body back into a better-balanced ratio.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adult men consume 1.6 g of linoleic acid per day while recommendations for women is 1.1 g per day (1).
How did our Omega-6 and Omega-3 get out of balance?
For thousands of years, humans were hunters and gatherers. Humans were eating plant products and animal products before intensive agriculture existed and diets contained Omega-6:Omega-3 at a 1:1 ratio. As the intensive agriculture system increases, livestock is now fed high omega-6 diets and consumption of vegetable seed oils which are high in omega-6, results in the imbalance of these fatty acids. The graph below shows the increase of Omega-6 as Omega-3 decrease. The reduction of Vitamin C and E with the increase of total fat and saturated fat results also contributes to increase in chronic disease.
Finding Balance
Omega-6 fatty acids are another class of polyunsaturated fatty acids with linoleic acid (LA; C18:2 n-6) containing the same “essential” classification as ALA. Unlike the Omega-3 family of fatty acids, Omega-6 fatty acids are more commonly associated with inflammatory responses.
Too much dietary omega-6 relative to omega-3 can interfere with omega-3 metabolism, and is associated with a number of chronic health conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis
Currently, the global dietary trends are seeing an imbalance in these fatty acids and believe an over consumption of Omega-6 fatty acids compared to Omega-3 fatty acids may be a major contributor to the increased rates of chronic inflammatory diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Based on this evidence, more dieticians and nutritional scientists are encouraging consumers to increase consumption of their Omega-3 fatty acids to improve the dietary balance of fats. However, it can be difficult for consumers to source natural and sustainable options.