Omega 3 vs Omega 6
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMING OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6
It is clear to us that fats are essential for the proper functioning of the body. We need fat for our body to produce hormones, we need fat because it is part of the membrane that protects each of our cells, and we need fat because it is the main material that makes up our brain.
That said, it is even clearer that fat is good. Now, we must choose the sources of fat that provide us with that which is beneficial for our body.
There is a lot of confusion on this subject, as we often read that we must increase the consumption of omega-3 and decrease the consumption of omega-6, as if the latter were the bad guy. This is not exactly so, the body needs both omega-3 and omega-6, but we should take into account the proportion between the consumption of one and the other so that they do their function correctly within the body.
The correct ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids should be between 1:1 and 4:1, but the sad reality is that the typical standard diet has an average ratio of 20:1 and the imbalance in the consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 leads to serious health problems.
To better understand this, we will clarify the role of each of these fatty acids.
WHAT ARE OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6 GOOD FOR?
Omega-3 fatty acids intervene in the process of regulating and reducing inflammation, preventing the blood from clotting too much and making it flow correctly inside the veins and arteries, reducing cytokines (involved in the processes of inflammation), improving the response to insulin, and regulating the production of prostaglandins.
Omega-6 fat plays a very important role in the structure, protection and regulation of cells. It plays an important role in such vital functions as regulating metabolism, promoting the immune response (including inflammation), regulating blood clotting and contributing to the balance of your lipid profile.
THE RICHEST FOODS IN OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6
Now that we know the importance of consuming this type of fat, what foods can we find them in?
The rich foods in omega-3 are the seeds like the chia, the flax, the hemp or the pipes of pumpkin, the nuts and the seaweed. In a standard diet, we find very few foods rich in omega-3s. We also find omega-3 in oily fish, but it will not be the cleanest option because of its high risk of heavy metal contamination.
Foods rich in omega-6 are much more common: avocados, legumes, seeds, nuts… Although the main source of omega-6 are the vegetable oils we use for cooking or that are found in processed foods such as sunflower oil, corn oil or soybean oil.
A high consumption of these oils rich in omega-6 accompanied by a low consumption of foods rich in omega-3 causes a strong imbalance between both fatty acids.
THE OMEGA-6 AND OMEGA-3 IMBALANCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
The decompensation between these fatty acids causes inflammation, the great evil of the modern world, and is one of the main causes of the deterioration of our health.
Some of the symptoms or consequences that we can experience due to the imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 are:
* Pain and chronic inflammation
* Hardening of the arteries
* Blood clotting problems
HOW TO BALANCE OMEGA-6 AND OMEGA-3 FATS
Many health professionals would resort to omega-3 supplementation by taking oily fish oil pearls, but why not clean up the problem at the root?
We can recover the balance between both fatty acids by eliminating processed foods and excess vegetable oils from our diet, in other words, reducing our consumption of omega-6.
We can also increase our consumption of omega-3 with a more natural diet, rich in green leafy vegetables, fruits, seeds and raw nuts, and whole grains such as quinoa or millet.
A good and delicious trick to make sure we compensate for these levels is to prepare a chia pudding for dinner. This delicious option will not only adjust the ratio between the omegas but will help us maintain a good intestinal transit and leave us satisfied. It is an ideal recipe for nights, when the cravings for sweets tend to wake up.
ARE OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENTS RECOMMENDED?
When we consume omega-3s, they must be transformed into longer chains of fatty acids, EPA and DHA, in order to be used. However, many people lose the ability to do this process due to poor nutrition or high levels of stress.
Omega-3 supplements are one of the few I do recommend taking on many occasions, especially when we are still making the transition to a cleaner diet. So taking a DHA or EPA supplement from algae will be a good nutritional guarantee.
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Originally published at https://www.helthyfit.com.