3/6/9

WHY IS GETTING TOO MUCH OMEGA-6 UNHEALTHY, WHY SHOULD YOU AVOID  HEATING GRAPE SEED, SUNFLOWER, & OTHER OILS (OTHER THAN OLIVE OIL) & HOW MUCH OF EACH (3,6,9) SHOULD YOU CONSUME?

While certain amounts of polyunsaturated fats are essential to our bodies health and function, most people consume too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3. Such imbalance leads to an inflammatory environment created by excess omega-6 in your body (Omega-6 are inflammatory, omega-3 are anti-inflammatory… Omega-6 get converted into arachidonic acid by the body, which is in turn used to generate pro-inflammatory cells and hormones. Omega-3 on the other hand supplies the body with eicosapentaenoic acids that help to increase the production of anti-inflammatory substances.) Too much Omega-6 is associated with the development health problems like cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In addition to this, polyunsaturated fats (3 and 6) oxidize easily, and particularly when heated. Oxidation causes damage to our cells and creates damaging free radicals. All of this increases our risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other degenerative diseases.

So what’s the solution?

Consume nuts and seeds such as walnut oil (raw), flaxseed oil (raw), or fish such as salmon, mackerel, or sardines to obtain you’re healthy dose of omega 3 (recommended is 1-1.6g/daily). Avoid cooking with any oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats ( 3 or 6) to limit oxidation, and avoid excess use in general to limit omega-6 intake (consuming too much omega-6 also prevents omega-3 types such as ALA (found in flax seed and walnut oil) from being converted into DHA, the long chain derivative that provides health benefits to our brain, eyes, and nerve functions).

Use olive oil, or other oils high in mono-unsaturated fats but low in polyunsaturated (it still consumes enough omega-6 to fulfill that daily need, but not enough omega-6 to consume daily needs). Monounsaturated fats help prevent degenerative diseases such as cancer and Alzeimers. Olive oil is also anti-inflammatory due to high polyphenol content, and contains higher amounts of a certain type of Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) that works like an antioxidant, than other vegetable oils. Since mono-unsaturated fatty acids do not oxidize, the alpha-tocopherol can work as an anti-oxidant, fighting other oxidation in your body.

Americans typically consume 14 to 25 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. This is in part due to use of oils high in omega-6, such as sunflower, safflower, canola, or corn oil. It’s healthier to narrow that gap. Some sources used to recommend 1-1.6g of omega-3 daily, and 12-17g of omega-6 daily, but now more and more sources are recommending a balanced intake of the two.You cannot have too much healthy mono-unsaturated fats in your diet.

Please use this chart we put together using the USDA Nutrient Database (release 24) to determine which oils are best suited to your needs.