by Spence Cooper on 01/08/10 at 8:13 am
Grab some beans today to increase your O3
Both omega-3 and omega-6 are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids our bodies do not produce naturally, therefore, we must obtain these fatty acids in the foods we eat. Besides the obvious structural divergences, there are a number of significant differences between omega-3 and 6 worth noting.
One glaring difference is that omega-6 fatty acids are infinitely more abundant in a 21st century diet most prevalent in developed countries where processed foods are dominant such as cookies, crackers, margarine, canola oil, vegetable oils from corn, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cottonseed oil, and soybeans in cooking and processing. Soybean oil is used massively in fast food and processed food and accounts for 20 percent of the calories in the American diet. So as you might have guessed, junk food junkies obtain all the omega-6 fatty acids they’ll ever need (and maybe even too much).
Omega-3, on the other hand, is a much more sought-after commodity as part of a healthy diet. Huge corporate owned agribusinesses have all but decimated Omega-3 fatty acids from our daily diets because of high production volumes and food processing.
Good, solid sources of omega-3 fatty acids are mainly found in fish such as swordfish, lake trout, blue fish, tuna, black cod, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herring, but can also be found in wheat germ, free-range beef and poultry, kidney beans, navy beans, tofu, winter and summer squash, raspberries, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, romaine lettuce, and collard greens.
Some have suggested that omega-6 is “bad” fat, and omega-3 is “good” fat, but since both fatty acids are essential, that analogy is far too simplistic — it is rather the imbalance between the two that is the issue.
In a perfect world, omega-3 and omega-6 should be balanced equally for optimum health. Andrew Weil, M.D. explains that both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids create hormones in our bodies which have opposite effects. “Omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation, blood clotting, and cell proliferation, while those from omega-3 fatty acids decrease those functions. Both families of hormones must be in balance to maintain good health.”
But since North Americans and Europeans live in a perverted food world where processed foods are King, omega-6 fatty acids outnumber omega-3 fatty acids around 20:1. In Japan the ratio is 4:1, most likely because of their diet is high in fish.
This dietary imbalance, says Dr. Weil, may explain the rise of such diseases as asthma, coronary heart disease, many forms of cancer, autoimmunity and neurodegenerative diseases, all of which are believed to stem from inflammation in the body. The imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may also contribute to obesity, depression, dyslexia, hyperactivity and even a tendency toward violence.
A sure-fire way of maintaining a healthy balance between these two essential fatty acids is to reduce your intake of fast food and processed foods, and increase your consumption of natural foods rich in fish, nuts, organic fruits and vegetables and organic free-range beef and poultry.
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