Balancing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids
The ‘western’ diet tends to contain far more omega-6 EFAs than omega-3 EFAs.
The following guidelines may help to re-dress this imbalance.
Omega-6 is commonly found in mayonnaise, margarines, sunflower oils & vegetable cooking oils.
To reduce omega-6 fatty acid intake:
- Cut down on fried foods and use olive oil in salad and food cooking
- Use butter and margarines sparingly, reduce vegetable and ‘yellow’ fats (margarines from sunflower & safflower oils)
- Reduce meat intake
- Reduce consumption of processed foods
It is arguable better to spread butter thinly on bread than use margarines from sunflower, safflower or soya
To increase omega-3 fatty acid levels:
- Increase consumption of oily fish (2 meals a week is often recommended but may not be enough), sources include: wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, herring, pilchards (not canned tuna)
- Take omega-3 supplements (ensure that the balance is correct for your current requirements, the levels for pregnancy differ from that of a ‘normal’ lifestyle)
- Increase fresh fruits and vegetables
- Use olive oil in salads and for cooking
- Vegetarians can take flaxseed (linseed) oil, walnuts & walnut oil
Supplementation is recommended because omega-6 may block the conversion of the parent omega-3 essential fatty acid (ALA) to the more useful long chain version omega-3 essential fatty acids: EPA & DHA.
Using fish oil supplements can ‘bypass’ blockages because they can directly provide EPA & DHA without relying on your body’s metabolism, understanding these blockages to EFA metabolism is very important. blockages to eFA pathways.
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